happy blog

I've recently discovered this blog, thanks to an article my mom sent me from American Way magazine (yes, the in-flight airline magazine). The story highlighted an NYC artist named Katie Sokoler and her creative attempts to bring smiles and cheer to the city. She often found herself wondering what people were thinking as she walked past them on the streets or rode next to them on the subways, and in an effort to keep her inner child alive, started a shadow project, inspired by Peter Pan. She traced and cut out life-size silhouette "shadows," taped them to walls and sidewalks, and discovered an elderly man's shadow break-dancing and a girl's shadow holding flowers next to a graffitied door. She also punched hearts out of pink paper and taped them near areas that needed a little, well, love. And perhaps one of my favorites (after the shadows), thought bubbles! The pics are so fun! See the article from AW magazine here.

I just finished perusing her blog, "Color Me Katie" and learned she is part of an improv team in NYC called "Improv Everywhere." They do improv events in public, including a spontaneous grocery store musical performance, a happy high five escalator event, going pants-free on the subway (more than 2,000 people turned out for this in the freezing January weather!), and maybe my favorite, welcoming home random people from JFK airport.

I also loved her creation of indoor rain clouds, her wall of silhouette pictures, and her attempts to brighten dingy, brown snow.

Her colors and creative expressions brought a smile to my face tonight. Maybe they will to you as well.