Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Random Acts of Art Kindness

 As I look around me at the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, I see that we are truly missing Kindness in our daily lives.  From hate groups to hate speech, the world is growing dimmer each day,  In order to spread Kindness and cheer, I have decided to engage in Random Acts of Art Kindness (RAAKs). 

 

First of all, what are RAAKs?  Random Acts of Art Kindness is a way to spread the joy of art to those who need a little extra Kindness in their lives.  You can do this by creating little pieces of art (drawings, collage, Artist Trading Cards, etc.) and leaving them randomly around your town or community for others to find.  This is not meant to be a scavenger hunt for all of the art you leave (similar to geocaching).  It is, however, meant to give spontaneous happiness and Kindness to those who happen to find them.


Next, do all RAAKs have to be the same?  Of course not!  Art is as different as each individual person is.  This does not mean that you cannot create the same piece of art to leave at several different locations.  You can put as much effort into creating RAAKs as the joy you will receive by sending them out into the world for others to find.  For example, I have bought a set of small colored envelopes with white cards from Amazon on which I will create artistic notes  to leave in random places throughout my community.  This piece of Art Kindness can be taken by its finder or passed along to another person who needs a little Kindness in their lives.


Thirdly, where do I leave my RAAKs once I have created them?  RAAKs can be left anywhere!  I plan on placing them on random cars at the grocery store, in Little Free Libraries, inside books at Barnes and Noble, on the restaurant table with my tip, and even engaging local business owners to help in the endeavor.  The point is to place them where they can be found by others.  You never know when or by whom the RAAKs will be found.  That is the beauty of randomly placing the places.


Finally, do I have to make my own RAAKs?  Ideally, yes.  But that is not the main purpose in placing RAAKs.  The real reason is to spread Kindness.  If you do not have the time or energy to create your own, then I would like to encourage you to order a free set of Kindness Cards.  Vicky Barone is a North Carolina artist who creates Kindness Cards to be given out in the community.  She is offering a free set of her designer cards to those wishing to do the same.  The only price you pay is for shipping.  When I ordered my set of 30 cards, it only cost $4.04 for 2-day shipping.  Please visit her shop at https://www.vickybarone.com/products/kindness-cards and order your set of cards today.




Whatever your age or stage, it is possible for you to create RAAKs to spread Kindness throughout your community.  The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.  You may be able to start of tidal wave of Kindness in our world that will last for generations to come.








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