WHAT?
This project is a celebration of the positive things we can easily overlook in day to day life. These are moments that give us a spark of victory but can be forgotten just as quickly. For example – getting a perfectly ripe avocado, having exact change when it comes to pay or not having to wait at a set of traffic lights. This idea was inspired by my family’s dinner time tradition of asking each other for three highlights of the day, and although I don’t live with them it is now something I do with my flat mates. Sometimes the phrase “how are you” can fall flat but there is something about asking the titular question that really gets people talking!
WHY?
Taking the time to acknowledge small achievements in our own lives helps to ground us, bring us back to the present moment and relive a positive memory. Whilst this sort of reflection focuses on positive moments it can also include events such as receiving the grades for an exam, becoming a parent or getting that job you wanted. However only focusing on life events can make us feel crushed under pressure; believing that we could only become happy once we complete A, and once we complete A and feel the same we assume it’s because we haven’t got B yet … so at the core of this project are the little things in life.
OK, SO WHAT WOULD THIS LOOK LIKE ANYWAY?
Opportunity to share would be in the form of collection boxes, ideally located in various busy public spaces of Sheffield such as the Winter Gardens, the Town Hall, Western Park and the Train Station/Sheaf Square. A key element of this project is that these collection boxes must be made and/or decorated by the group in charge of looking after them – each one as individual as the people who post in them. Each box would be provided with a pen, paper and instructions on how to take part in simple English. Over the course of the day any member of the public can write a note and post it into the box, choosing to remain anonymous or not. At the end of the day those in charge of the box look through the notes and curate a selection to be shared on social media such as Twitter or Instagram. This project is not only about the individual but sharing and celebrating our small achievements with the rest of Sheffield!
