The Story

I started the Small Arts of Kindness Project in 2023 while I was away from home for two months. 

As someone who likes to paint every day, I was determined to continue despite the apparent limitations of traveling without my usual supplies. I carried a small selection of paints and a book of watercolor paper, and painted mostly on the porches and kitchen tables of the places I visited. I worked small, and as the paintings piled up, I realized they were the perfect size for postcards. 

So I began sending them to friends, posting on social media, and asking "who wants this?" The response was beautiful — over the course of that summer, I sent dozens of cards by slapping a stamp on the back and dropping them in the mailbox. They went all over the world: to Europe, New Zealand, Israel, and South America, as well as back home to Oregon. People loved them, and some sent me photos of what they received. 

After returning to Portland, I continued offering the cards via social media, but after a few months, almost everyone who wanted one had received one (some got two or three!). So I started giving them out while wandering around Portland at art events and meetups. Occasionally I'll meet someone for the first time and they'll say, "I have one of your cards." Some of the people I gave cards to even passed them along to someone else — spreading the love a little further. 

Small Arts of Kindness is, of course, a play on the phrase small acts of kindness — only one letter is changed, but the spirit is the same. I plan to continue this project indefinitely. I'm a prolific painter, I don't like my art just sitting around, and I hate throwing anything away — so there will always be plenty of small works to give away. 

If you're interested in connecting over this project or supporting it, please contact me Here.

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