We’re a group of friends who drew inspiration from the Art Abandonment Project (must give credit where due!). Those are “real” artists, sharing their “real” works of art!! We’re just friends who want to join in the fun of spreading kindness and brightening days.
We thought, “What if we left little gifts (art or gift cards or trinkets….anything nice) around our town?”
“And, what if we had a website to catalog all our gifting as well as the responses?”
We’re betting we will see some pretty amazing things through our little gifts!
If you’re interested in joining us, you are welcome! Here are some things we think will make this project run smoothly:
- Choosing your gift. Cheap and small is fine! See first post for an example of how it is the thought that counts! Cost can be minimal–just choose something you believe someone will enjoy. If it is original art or handmade, leave a note saying so, because this makes it all the more special.
- Avoid Food. Don’t raise fears about contamination by bad guys. You could, however, leave a gift card to a local coffee shop with a “have a cup on me” card. If you leave lotion or such, be sure it is sealed so your recipient can have confidence in it.
- Clearly mark on the outside that the gift is meant for the finder, not accidentally left. Email us at igotsurprised@gmail.com, and we will email you a pdf of cards to use for these…someday they will be downloadable from here when we figure that out!
- Leave a card explaining and inviting them to share their comments. Again, email us at igotsurprised@gmail.com for downloadable forms which has all the information they need to register their comments. You can add whatever you feel moved to add as your own personal message.
- Fancy up the package just a little – don’t you love getting something with a bow?
- Register your gift. We are working on a registration form for this site. Until then, email us at igotsurprised@gmail.com, giving us a description of gift, city, location (“park bench” or “ladies’ room”}, your name and the date of the gift. This will ensure we can identify the comments with the correct gift and let you know–our goal is to let you know within 48 hours of receipt of a comment.
- We will publish comments, as authorized by recipient, and will publish a list of gifts/response dates.
Please join us in brightening someone’s day–you never know what effect it may have. We know one thing–you will be blessed in the giving!!