Operation Random Acts of Creative Kindness

I have been continuing on with Lani Gerity‘s workshop 6 Easy Lessons for a Happy Artist’s Life as part of 6 Degrees of Creativity and just spent the last month focusing on her lesson about sharing joy with others, practicing kindness, and the health benefits of behind altruism.  In the spirit of these practices, the lesson also encouraged us to find creative and fun ways to bring unexpected joy and happiness to others.

I was inspired by Lani’s challenge and after some brainstorming some ideas I decided that I would create a series of six Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) focusing on this theme and launch what I started to call Operation Random Acts of Creative Kindness. My plan was to leave these mini works of art at various places for others to hopefully find by surprise.  I left them at places such as the neighborhood convenient store, a church downtown, a community arts center, restaurant, and even slipped one in between the pages of a 2012 day planner/organizer at a local office supply store.

In addition to the ATCs, I also created a spread in my Happy Artist’s Life art journal to document this lesson:

From My Art Journal

I have no idea if any of the ATCs were found or taken, but it is my hope is that each ATC was received by someone with the message of kindness and joy it represented.  It felt good to share and release this positive energy in artistic form- especially with the intention of this gift being left behind and received by someone I did not know.

It is also inspiring for me to see others engaging in this practice of paying it forward through art making.  While I working on this lesson, I discovered news about this community art project in Connecticut encouraging people to “Look for the Good” and send in postcard art about what they are grateful for.

I look forward to reading and seeing more from 6 Degrees of Creativity community members responding to Lani’s third lesson and sharing their own artistic responses, reflections, and creative activity.  I’m also really interested to hear if any Creativity in Motion readers have engaged in their own Random Acts of Creative Kindness!  :)

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