Birthday (Party) Guest Post: Sarah from {Vie Boheme}

The Love Project

{Lovejoy St. Portland, OR}


Thanks for inviting me to be a guest at your celebration, Polly! The space you've created here at Pixie Mama is inspiring, lovely and fun to visit. You've infused it with beauty, and it feels just like a cozy cottage home. Guess what? My birthday is in March too! I've always felt lucky to have been born in the same month that welcomes Spring. It's a hopeful time of year, full of all sorts of secret possibilities and potentials. The faeries come out to play and wishes come true in March. I really believe it.
Today I'm going to share an artistic adventure I took recently. Hopefully it it makes you smile.


A couple weeks ago I began an awesome social art practice called The Love Project. My rules were simple: I would go to the Lovejoy neighborhood in NW Portland--armed with only my camera, some paper, a clipboard and a couple sharpies. My goal was to approach the community and create a collaborative artwork based on one simple question: "How do you show love?"
This is what happened:




At first I was tentative. Before I left my car, it took me some time to summon the courage to complete my task. I mean, I'm a shy girl. I like to give people their personal space. I try not to invade their bubbles. So, I don't often approach strangers. And I definitely don't approach them to ask for their help with an art project about love!

Mainly I worried that no one would want to participate. And I would return home empty handed, feeling embarrassed and sort of rejected.



But, nothing even remotely close to that happened. Thank goodness!


{"We Kiss!!!"}

Instead, the people I approached were super friendly when I asked them if they'd like to participate. They were generous with their time and genuinely interested in being partners in art. These beautiful folks were more than happy to collaborate with me for art's sake (for Love's sake). In fact, I think made their morning sweeter! And, the process of approaching these amazing people in the midst of their days, to ask them about love, did something really profound to me.


{Clockwise from top left: 1. "Creative random gifts and mix tapes. (Go John Cusack!)" 2. "I give BIG hugs" 3. "Nursing" 4. "Kisses. Funny Faces."}

The Love Project empowered me! It opened doors inside my heart that I hadn't even realized I'd shut. How long had they been shut? I suddenly lost all my shyness. I was too interested in learning about my community to think about being embarrassed or to be afraid of rejected. It was like I could fly!
Not everyone who I asked wanted to be part of this collaboration. Often people were too busy. They were on their way to work or maybe they were feeling shy. But the people who DID participate--those lovely lovers!--they more than made up for the folks who couldn't or wouldn't. Such sweet spirits. They're people who believe in both love and art. And they are exactly the kind of people I like to collaborate with.
I'm in awe that with just some sharpies, a camera and some paper, we can engage our communities in ways that are positive and uplifting and loving and joyful.



One little smile makes a whole world of difference!
I show love by doing collaborative art projects with my community.
How do YOU show love?

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What a beautiful project, thanks for sharing Sarah. You can see more of Sarah's photographs at {Vie Boheme}