Art Provides Meaning - Share Joy Campaign

Hello friends! Like so many other small businesses, my lifestyle and wedding photography income, which provides a large portion of our family income, has come to a screeching halt in recent weeks. We are all feeling the pinch and concerned about what the coming days and months might bring. But worrying over what might be won’t make it different. And with all of our new found free time, it just might make us a little crazy. To shift my focus to something more positive, I have been looking for ways that I can help others through this journey.

As Covid-19 continues to spread, the world is changing day by day. We are all experiencing anxiety and fear. Being stuck at home can be isolating, depressing, and let’s face it, sometimes down right maddening! Especially if you have kids to juggle as well. There is no doubt that the world will be different when this is all over, but it can be better if we choose to make it so.

As a global community, we have the power to recognize our shared responsibility for humanity. Though we can’t be together right now, we can rise in solidarity.

Feeling helpless is awful and leads to despair, but feeling helpful is empowering and leads to hope.

I am kicking off a kindness campaign and I’d LOVE for you to join me in spreading a little joy around the globe. I will be sharing ideas on how to do just that, even if you are stuck at home. My hope is that these small acts will have a ripple effect, sparking joy and creating positive energy that empowers us all to find new ways to thrive in this new reality.

Join in and share your experience online with the campaign hashtag #sharejOy

First up: share some joy by creating art at home and sending it to a retirement community.

Our elderly are at great risk of contracting and suffering from the worst of the Coronavirus. Most retirement communities are on lock down and many residents are unable to visit with loved ones, or even visit in common areas. At the same time, children all over the country are home from school and missing regular activities. Why not encourage our kids to draw, paint, write and create, and then share that creativity with our elderly neighbors by sending this art in the mail. We’re encouraging our kids to express themselves in healthy ways, while also connecting with the elderly so they know they have not been forgotten. It is a small gesture, but sometimes that’s all it takes to brighten someone’s outlook.

To participate, just create cards, pictures, poems, or whatever you feel moved to do, and mail them to the address below, or you could contact your local retirement center to see if they’d like to participate as well. (Make sure you ask permission first, in case the staff is not prepared for the influx of mail).

Be sure to take a photo of your art and post it online with the hashtag so that we can encourage each other along the way!

Please help spread the word and we can all make a difference together! This would be a great project to share with scout groups, homeschool communities or art classes that are currently unable to meet regularly. If you need help getting started, I’m listing a few resources below. Adults are more than welcome to join in too! Thank you for caring and for helping to #sharejOy

I love to support local businesses and artists whenever possible. Virginia Beach muralist OnieTonie is offering a free download of his custom coloring pages. Check out his joy-filled art, guaranteed to put a smile on your face! :) Mo Willems is offering free daily lunch doodles online as well. And Mark Kistler is offering free daily art lessons at noon CST on Facebook and YouTube. Or, check out these drawing lessons for kids from Jerry’s Artarama.

Please do NOT go out shopping for supplies. Stay home and get creative with what you have on hand, or order online if you must. As always, use common sense in protecting yourself and others. If you are unwell or quarantined, you are welcome to snap a photo of your art and share it online to encourage others.

Mail your art to:

Anna Little, Atlantic Shores, 1200 Atlantic Shores Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23454

By the way, I’ve been homeschooling for 12 years, if you are looking for educational ideas for keeping kids busy at home, I created a post on my personal blog with lots of resources grouped by grade levels. Be sure to check that out! Be well friends! - XOXOX, Melissa