i spy heART: Mission Edition update
On the night of June 19th, I loaded 20+ wooden signs in my car and headed out to the Mission to hang my signs of love on five fences.
I'd scouted out the five locations for several weeks - looking for spots that have high foot traffic, other street art or graffiti nearby, locations with visibility (I want to surprise people, bring that sense of wonder or take-your-breath-away-for-a-brief-moment feeling) and might be fences where the signs would not be removed.
Planning
, I had fun with my own surprise and wonder. My curiosity at which designs would go together, what messages to share and how it would feel to actually hang them on a fence other than my own.
I was in stealth mode for the first fence - tucking the plastic ties, my camera, scissors, and car keys into my pockets and carrying the wooden signs close. I surveyed this spot, it looked just like I remembered from my scouting trips. With my sneakers, I pushed aside the newspapers, trash and boxes of fast food at my feet and started pulling the plastic ties from my pocket. Positioning the signs on the fence without my partner in crime (she passed on this adventure to cuddle up with her honey), meant jostling with the supplies a bit until I figured out ties in the right pocket and scissors in the left.
As I was hanging the "Love is Louder" piece, I felt someone reach around my legs. Yikes! I was already slightly nervous and excited plus leaning into the fence with one arm to hold the piece while I threaded the plastic tie through the drilled hole with the other hand. I glanced down to see a man crouched on the sidewalk, grabbing at the trash I'd kicked aside.
Hello.
I said.
Are you looking for something?
He remained focused on the ground, scrounging through the trash until he'd opened a plastic bag, pulled out the discarded food inside, looked up at me showing me the food in his hand and then bowed his head as he stood up and walked away. It was as if he thanked me when all l I had done was step on what would be his food. I returned to hanging the sign, which felt less important after this brief interaction.
Why am I doing this and not at the food bank?
I wondered.
Love is Louder,
I reminded myself.
You believe this. You know this. You want to share this truth.
Love
is
Louder. But hunger is deafening. Hunger overwhelms all the senses until you can think or feel or hear nothing else. Hunger wants.
At the third location, there was a bustle of activity on the sidewalk. Passersby stopped to help me hang the signs and ask questions.
Hey, are you part of that group that shares love in the Mission?
I adore this concept of a group of people sharing love and do wish I knew them all.
Did you do the
?
Nope. That's
- he is rad and inspires me. One passerby took my camera and started documenting the good madness that was underway.
You need to make a video
, someone suggested.
A man walking his dog approached me,
Do you live here?
No,
I explained.
I'm doing a pop-up art show on five fences tonight. One of my besties can see this display from her living room window.
See this sign,
he pointed to "Everything will be ok. Yes, it will." Then nodding to the building across the parking lot he continued,
I live right there. My husband died last week. When I walked by and saw this sign I thought it was for me. I realized, "Everything really will be okay."
My own breath-taken-away moment with this chance meeting.
The following morning, I went by the locations on my way to work to take better photographs in the daylight. Twice, I had to wait my turn to snap a photo as other people were doing the same. All the signs were there, flowers in place and morning foot traffic was picking up. By the end of the work week, all the "i love you" signs were gone and two of the fences completely bare. I wonder where those signs are now. I hope they are hanging somewhere, surprising someone.
Two weeks later, one of the "i love you, too" signs has LUCY written in sharpie. i love you, too LUCY. Brilliant! Lucky you, Lucy.
I see blank fences everywhere I walk, drive and run. My daughter and I recently picked up more scrap wood. I was given two bags of scrabble tiles. It feels like the next edition of "i spy heART" is ready to begin. But first, a visit to the
. It's been too long.