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#CaringForCommunity: Random Acts of Poetry and Art Day

#CaringForCommunity is a new blog series that spotlights the work of writers, artists, or your next-door neighbors who, without being asked and without pay, carry the light in simple but meaningful ways. These are people giving back in order to lift others up. Real life examples of compassion, concern, and inspiration.

Today, Cristina M.R. Norcross shares about Random Acts of Poetry and Art Day, an annual event on February 20th, where the act of giving is in the giving of art.

Random Acts of Poetry and Art Day poster
Random Acts of Poetry and Art Day
February 20th, 2017
Join the Kindness Revolution!

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“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves.”
~Amelia Earhart

heart shapes hangingThere exists within all of us the need to reach out to others with an open heart. When we are offered a kind word, a helping hand, a patient ear, or an unexpected gift, our first reaction is gratitude – there is a softening that occurs. Perhaps our second reaction could be to pay-it-forward?

In 2012, the idea for Random Acts of Poetry and Art Day (RAPA) started with the brainstorm of leaving behind a “feel good” message for someone else to mysteriously find. I was in an Office Max store and decided to test out a roller ball pen by writing a mini poem on the scratch paper provided. With these words, I was hoping to encourage the next pen tester:

“And if your wandering spirit should falter, know that you are constantly being guided on your path. Follow your own star.”

At first, I felt a bit mischievous, but then I felt inspired. I took a photo of my scribblings and sent it to a few artist and writer friends with the question, “Do you think we could do something here, by spreading good vibes?” The response I received was an enthusiastic, YES, even before we knew how to bring people together.

Sonya S. Sinha's NYC maps and bands as giveaways
NYC maps & bands by Sonya S. Sinha

We created a Facebook page, with a simple summary of our RAPA Day movement, some sample photos of gifts, and some encouragement for others to take part.

2017 will mark our 6-year anniversary. We have had public school students participate, local arts councils, and writing groups. We have had artists and poets from across the United States, Canada, and Europe participate. With each year, our numbers grow, and we hope that this continues!

Chapbooks by Gary C. Busha
Chapbooks by Gary C. Busha as giveaways.

For those who are new to RAPA Day, some ideas from past years include: leaving behind free poetry cards at coffee houses, cafés and libraries; giving away mini works of art / handmade jewelry / pottery / knitted scarves or hats; and donating art prints and poetry books to non-profit organizations.

For our first year, my sons had the day off from school, so they helped me cut up strips of paper with quotes by Rumi, Hafiz, and Dr. Seuss. We would leave them on tables, benches, and even inside library books on shelves (shh, don’t tell our local librarian). I think the Dr. Seuss quote was their favorite:

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
~ Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

collage of giveaway gifts: earrings, bracelets, beadsI wouldn’t be able to spread the word about Random Acts of Poetry and Art Day without the help of my wonderfully talented team of organizers, which includes visual artists: Sonya S. Sinha (New York) and Jennifer S. J. Peña (New Jersey). Each year, we ring the bell of hope, in celebration of the art of giving. It is our goal to encourage and inspire others to give back through the arts. We have an opportunity to connect people through kindness and generosity. We also have an opportunity to remind people of the essence of being human – to give and receive from the heart.

We hope that you will join us for Random Acts of Poetry and Art day, celebrated every year on February 20th. And, we welcome you to share your photos and personal stories of how you choose to give on the Random Acts of Poetry and Art Day Facebook page.

PS! We are giving away bundles of 10 postcards (pictured below), per request, until we run out. Artists and writers can request a bundle by sending a message to the Random Acts of Poetry and Art group page on Facebook.

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Cristina M. R. Norcross is the founding editor of the online poetry journal, Blue Heron Review, and lives in Wisconsin with her husband and their two sons.  She is the author of 7 poetry collections, and her works appear in print and online. Cristina was one of the co-editors of the project, One Vision: a Fusion of Art & Poetry in Lake Country (2009-11).  She is currently one of the co-founders of Random Acts of Poetry and Art Day and is a regular contributor to the Art Ambush Project. Visit her website for more information. 

Do you have a #CaringForCommunity story to share? Contact me. 

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Inside | Outside, The Reading: Community in Action

Inside | Outside, the most recent anthology of work by the writers at Harwood Place, made its humble debut last Saturday. In front of a full house, the authors each gave a stellar reading of their pieces from the podium. They spoke with ease and with grace, and one spoke for a writer who was unable to attend.

Earlier in the week, I received a phone call from a long-time participant, Richard, who said he couldn’t make it. He’d been down and out for the last several weeks, was recuperating well, but knew he would not be at the event. This reading highlights our year as writers together, so I understood, even before he said it, that missing the afternoon was a great disappointment. For all of us, really. Richard is the patriarch of the group–and he’s quite tall; his absence would be a void. So we did the next best thing: looked for someone to stand in for him and read what he had written.

Finding a proxy didn’t take long. Richard is not only a leader in the group but a good friend to many and a cheerful spirit for all. I had a response to an email request within an hour and assurance that his piece would not be left out. But what happened next speaks even more to the heart and temperament of this group.

As is my custom at these events, I run around sweating and testing the mic and helping the writers find their order in the line up. I make sure everyone is settled, and then I always begin the reading with a little introduction. But before I could take my place at the podium this time, I had to check on the lemonade and cookies, which were late to arrive, which are as critical to the afternoon as a strong mic for an older generation of men and women whose voices sometimes fall to a whisper. So I slipped away for a second in search of the refreshments.

When I walked back into the room, Chuck, another compatriot of the group, had picked up the mic to ready the audience with a little ad-lib and a smile. Then, he spoke of Richard, who had “gone AWOL,” as he said–absent without leave, excused but still–and gave a beautiful tribute to him by reading “An Ode to Richard.” Steady and most gentle of men. It became clear that absent or not, Richard was still very much a part of the event.

Beginning this year, I am sharing my teaching duties with a colleague, who will alternate months with me. While this frees up my time to pursue more of my own writing, I won’t lie: it’s tough to let go of this group even a little bit. I may be their teacher, but as is often the case, I am their student as well. They continue to serve as witnesses in the ways of community, cherishing stories from every corner of the table, vowing to ensure each person’s words are heard, honoring that connection, and taking care of one another. An important lesson these days.

Community in action with gratitude of the time spent together.

From left to right: Mary, me, Val, Chuck, LaVerne, Betty, Ruth, and Mary.
Not pictured but greatly missed: Richard.

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On the Spaces We Inhabit: Meet #Writer Mary Lewis

Yesterday’s social media explosion on the Badlands National Park twitter account gone rogue reminds us about the value of the spaces we inhabit and the places we take for granted. Our sense of place, and the attention we give it, defines who we were and gives insight into who we are. Whether you think of the world on a large or small scale, place–and our relationship to it–is paramount.

For the past few months, I have been compiling and editing a fourth anthology of work by the writers at Harwood Place on exactly this theme. Entitled Inside | Outside, this year’s collection of stories and poems honors the idea of place both inside and outside, from the shelves of a room called “the den” to temporary living quarters in the barn, from a camping excursion as seen through tiny eyes to the fauna and flora dressings on a patio. While the anthology isn’t available to purchase in bookstores, we share it among friends, family, and fellow Harwood Place residents at a special Reading. The contributors for Inside | Outside will showcase their work from the podium this Saturday, January 28th, at 2pm.

To give you a taste of what you will hear if you attend, I welcome Mary Lewis to the blog. Mary has been a regular in the writing group for several years now, and her work always delights me. A former children’s librarian, she knows the power of words, and her pieces often hint at the playful side of a good story. Here, she writes about the intricacies of a treasured room.

My Favorite “Then” and “Now” Room

By Mary Lewis

Currently my favorite room is a diminished version of my favorite room in the home where we lived for fifty-six years. We called that space “the den,” a curious word, as defined by Webster: “the lair of a wild animal, a comfortable, usually secluded room, a subdivision of a cub scout pack.” Harwood’s floor plan calls it the second bedroom. I declare it a Den, happily opening its hide-a-bed to welcome guests when they arrive.

Expanded by a mirrored wall, which is opposite the windows, this small room on the sixth floor is always filled with sky wonders–storms and colors and mist and darkness and changing moon shapes. I can add music to the environment or just keep it absolutely quiet. It’s the right place for a pen and a clipboard to journal or to follow a writing group prompt. There’s a globe to spin and speculate and a modest TV screen tucked on its own shelf on the bookshelves along the wall. Books which were boxed for the Harwood move are survivors, culled for another read. More recent titles pop up in other rooms.

Ledges and corners in the den call out “these are a few of my favorite things!” Many of them are carved pieces. A parade of guinea hens marches across a shelved collection of books from Zimbabwe and Namibia. Two small human figures make eye contact in conversation. She was carved in Quebec, and he in Central America. I like the profile of their faces. Another carver had shaped a large tagua nut until it became a parrot in simulated ivory. There’s a gourd from Peru with a carved border of llamas, and a plump Baboushka doll hiding her children until a squeaky twist will set them free for their line-up. The paintings on the walls were brushed by artist friends, and the wide window valence was cut from the Batik fabric of a tablecloth.

The Den–it still says heart and warmth, comfort and contemplation. Creativity. And I like it because it’s small and takes you by surprise, down the hall and to the left.

Come hear Mary and the other Harwood Place Writers read on Saturday, January 28th, at 2pm: 8220 Harwood Avenue, Wauwatosa, WI. You’ll leave feeling lifted and inspired.