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Hello friends,

While walking in downtown Portland, Oregon, I was waiting at a crosswalk for the light to change. I glanced left, and there was a tiny piece of art affixed to a parking sign. It was a portrait of a person with peachy skin and long dark hair, among city lights, and it made me smile.

Now, I know nothing about this artist. Perhaps they have paintings hung in galleries. Perhaps they sell art full time from their online store, or at weekend craft fairs. Who knows, maybe their work is even in a museum somewhere. But regardless of what the real story is, this artist decided not to wait for someone to walk into a gallery, or find their work online, or come across their paintings at a summer craft fair.

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This artist was bold, and decided to make their mark, here on a city street, in just the right spot on a metal sign. I’ll likely never meet this artist, though I have met other street artists over the years, having tracked them down after seeing their work stapled to utility posts or slapped on street signs just like this one. Regardless, this artist touched my life, just for a moment. And now I’m passing that brief exchange of beauty with you.

We’re all a bit like this, aren’t we?

We all make our mark on the world around us. We all affect people in passing.

The only difference that might exist between this artist and the rest of us, is that this artist made a choice to affect someone else. They reached out on purpose, not knowing who would be on the receiving end of their gesture.

How often do we affect one another, and more importantly, how often do we choose to put ourselves out into the world. How often do we choose to make even one small mark, one gesture, one connection? And when we do choose, what is that mark today? And what connection might we choose to make tomorrow?

Best wishes - Thorn

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