Prompt #76 - Gift a Little Piece of Art
A random act of kindness for a stranger
Hi, and welcome (back) to The Stress Less Pencil. Together, we create art to make us feel good, not to make it look good. All weekly prompts are designed for total beginners and experienced artists alike, so if you’re new, make sure to subscribe and join us!
The world feels rough these days. Wars are spreading, right wing politics is is not going away, cost of living is still on the rise, and we're facing the unknowable change that AI will mean for our lives.
That shit can bring you down. And it often leaves you feeling helpless, like you want to do something to make the world a better place, but you don't even know where to start.
Today, we'll look at something small you can do to spread some joy. It might not right the wrongs in the world, but it might just put a smile on someone's face, and that I think it a fantastic place to start.
The Activity: Leave a little piece of art for a stranger
We want to create a little painting, and leave it outside for somebody else to find.
Step 1 - Find your canvas
Since we want to leave our artwork outside, we first need to find something to paint on that is a bit sturdier than paper. There's no better place to find outdoorsy canvases than… outdoors! Go for a little walk and see what inspires you. Maybe you find some nice flat stones, or leathery leaves? A cool piece of bark, or a part of a tree branch?
Pick up a couple of different ones, we want to have some extra to play around with.
Step 2 - Make a little painting
Back at home, pick a medium that will go well on your chosen canvas. It should be waterproof, so something like acrylic markers or paints, or permanent markers like Sharpies will work well.
Now choose something to paint on your canvas. Your painting can be as simple as a little flower or a sun, or as elaborate as you want it to be. The only thing to keep in mind is that you want it to spread joy.
Decorate as many of your little canvases as you feel like. Sometimes, when the Flow hits, you just want to keep going.
Step 3 - Leave it
Take your artwork with you the next time you go for a walk. Find a nice place for you to leave it for a stranger to find. It should be visible, but maybe still a bit off to the side so that the person finding it will feel like they've stumbled upon a hidden treasure.
Walk away, knowing that somebody will find it, and that you will have caused a little moment of happiness for this person today.
Repeat this as often as you like, There'll always be a need for more random acts of kindness.
My Example
I live on the West Coast of Sweden, close to the ocean. We have a lot of oyster shells that wash up on our rocky beach, so the dog and I went on a little treasure hunt. The tide was high and the snow had just melted, so there wasn't as much around as during other times of the year. But we still found some nice ones, including one that had fused to a piece of slate.
If you've been reading my newsletter for a while, you also know I have a love for traditional folk art, so obviously I was going to decorate my oysters with some pretty flowers.
On the back I wrote “for you”, so that the person finding it won't leave it where it is thinking somebody has accidentally lost it.
Just before writing this, I placed it at the harbour for somebody to find.
I'll put a little video of me doing “the drop” on Instagram later today.
Tomorrow, I'll see if anybody has picked it up. Either way, I already feel like I made the tiniest bit of a positive impact on the world around me today.
Have a great week my friends.
Love, Lorena