It is mid summer and I have have been really busy in my studio working on my installation for Capital Health Hospital. Seems this week everyone I know or know of is on vacation. There is no time for a big getaway as I am staring right at the creative finish line. But there is always time for a small escape and I have had a few.
This past week, I went to Princeton with my 13-year-old daughter and her friend and we left hope notes in little public places. I first read about hope notes in my friend Heather's creative blog, where she posted 41 things she wanted to do in the next year. I had never heard of hope notes before and the idea of leaving a positive message to be found by someone you don't know really resonated with me. I shared this idea with my daughter and her friend and they spent an afternoon writing hope notes. One of their hope notes said "you will get the job you want". How insightful! Here is one of their colorful "read me" hope notes left on a bench.
The best part about hope notes is that you can be really creative about how you want to make them. Mine were written on a torn diner placemat.
Then I left some of them open so that the message could be read. Here is one I left on a bench in beautiful Palmer Square.
Sometimes I folded them up to be discovered, like this one hidden in a parking meter.
We will never know exactly whose heart we touched or what events our positive messages put into action. But I can tell you, we all left Princeton more hopeful and looking forward to our next hope note adventure.