GRATITUDE WALL: A public declaration of gratitude

2012 | Chalkboard paint, chalk, communities

An adaptation of the Before I Die project, inspired by 1THING.

What are you grateful for today? The smell of grass, a hug from a friend, being alive?

The Gratitude Wall is a community art project that was installed in Whistler Village, Canada, for Wanderlust Festival 2012. Just like 1THING, an app that functions as a gratitude journal, people were asked to complete the sentence "Today I'm grateful for..."

Buckets of chalk were left out and people were invited to publicly and (somewhat) anonymously share what they were grateful for. Each morning of the four-day festival, the wall was cleaned and put out in the courtyard, and every day by lunch it was full.

The responses were incredible. Grateful for everything from loved ones, sunshine, fresh clean air and new adventures to health, dreams coming true, mountains and freedom. People shared and the wall was bursting with gratitude.

1THING app is a social gratitude journal that helps you tell the happy story of your life, one thing at a time.

After my own experience of using 1THING, I was so moved by the project and the effect of keeping a gratitude journal had on me personally that I wanted to pose the question with a community. I had created a Before I Die event earlier in 2012, and was astounded by the way people engaged with the wall. I collaborated with my friends at 1THING to create an adaptation of the inspiring community art project.

Wanderlust, a festival celebrating yoga and music, seemed like the perfect opportunity for a public, collaborative art project focused on gratitude. After all, yoga is the ultimate celebration of gratitude.

Inspired by THE Before I Die project BY CANDY CHANG:

Today I'm grateful for... 

The Gratitude Wall was featured on lululemon.com: 

What are you grateful for today?