Earlier this year I went around graffitiing my campus. Before you think this was a step towards a life of soft-crime, let me explain this was for a class project (because class projects make breaking rules ok, of course). In class we were encouraged to create work with a different medium in an outside environment, I was inspired by a video my teacher showed earlier in the semester about a mud-graffiti crew bringing awareness to Chicago. I wasn't about to tackle hard-core issues surrounding students going to Utah Valley University, but I knew I wanted to make a difference in their lives, if only for a passing second.
Being the week before finals I decided I would tag the campus with the message "Do it with passion or not at all" as a way to inspire students through finals. I thought my project was done after documenting the 'before and after' of where I tagged, but once I checked Instagram I noticed students all over were posting the quote and how it affected them. I was stunned! Here are some of the photos and stories I saw:
This guy stopped me while I stenciled and said he noticed the others I placed as well, I instantly felt better about sneaking around campus.
To my surprise, a few of the signs are still visible six months later and managed to escape the elements, janitors, or curious people finding it rubs it off.
Just remember, your words affect more than you think. You don't get to see the ripple effect through social media, but there are people everywhere in need of your kind words. Now stop holding back and inspire others!