So, I’m at the Chicken John book release party at 111 Minna Gallery and honestly it’s a “who’s who” of art and community builders in San Francisco down there… literally if a bomb was dropped on that alley the heart of Burning Man and leading-edge techie nerds who could rebuild this country would have been lost. Then I see Doc Pop, pull out a clown nose and start snapping a few shots…
My project, WhyTheNose.com, is driven by the simple idea of wearing a clown nose in public everyday, to spread just a little happiness. I have a number of terms for it: Passive Cacophony, Creative Dissonance, Kindful Anarchy. You see, I put it on and just wait for reactions…at the grocery store, at dinner, on Bart, EVERYWHERE and EVERYDAY.
Most people ignore it, others break a smile and give me a thumbs up and point, some of them tell me “I like your nose” and then there’s a few that engage me and ask, “Why are you wearing that nose?”. That’s when I know I was SUPPOSED to meet them and perhaps, change their lives. How? By giving them the story about “Why?” and taking their picture. Let me tell you after hundreds of shots EVERY one of the photos is magic… it’s a connection to a higher place and it made a difference to that person. It opened a door and changed the world for the better. I know because I hear their stories as we chat and we share a moment that moves their course towards joy.
I’ll keep doing this and already, other’s are doing the same… it’s open source, life-altering goodness and all through a little piece of red foam.
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