It's been 4,745 days of loving you.

“All that you touch, You Change. All that you Change, Changes you. The only lasting truth Is Change.”

Octavia Butler

Thirteen years ago, I clicked “publish” on the LoveYou2 blogspot, sharing the LoveYou2 flier with the world. My invitation then (and now) asked strangers to download the flier, print it, post it, and share their #GetLoveGiveLove story. I dreamed of sprinkling the world with love notes and geotagging each posted sign on the LoveYou2 blog to catalog places love had arrived.

I was so grateful for a newly emerging life my kids and I were creating. I had an endless desire to connect with others in the transitional moments of life, affirming our innate desires to be seen, to love, and to be loved in return.

Changing the world one love note at a time is how I thought of it. This public art project expanded from the original flier to painting and hanging wood love notes without permission, creating love note templates in six languages, hosting live love note writing events, and caping love superheroes.

In telling a story, it’s essential to talk about impact. I usually share numbers to convey the impact. In addition to the length of time (thirteen years is 4,745 days of loving you), I will share the number of notes: thousands of love notes have been posted (and found!) on six of seven continents, over 30 countries, and hundreds of cities. Thousands of love notes have been written and shared. Over 100 Love Superheroes have been caped for their contributions to the revolution.

Today, I think the tagline for this project may better have been — changing me one love note at the time.

The impact is how devoting myself to this apprenticeship to love has radically changed how I connect, the ways I give, the ways I see the world (I’ve got a keen eye for chainlink fences and handy ways with zip ties!), and the abundance of love-filled actions that come me as a result. This devotion has created a vibrant network, a community of people around the world with whom I feel at home.

#GetLoveGiveLove is a spiritual practice for me, a devotion I am committed to in the highlights and lowlights of life. I paint, write, hang, and share love notes because I am a practitioner of love. This will be a lifelong apprenticeship which I will never complete. A practice that is an astounding infinity loop of giving, receiving, and beginning again.

I’ve learned if I give love, I get love.

In growing my ability to truly see people. I have been seen in return.

In devoting myself, I become a practitioner.

Not waiting for or needing permission and not requiring a response or being attached to the outcome have been central to my devotion.

Changing me one love note at a time — I am Shannon, and I write love notes.