“Give away love like you’re made of it,” said the author Bob Goff. I wonder if Ben Cole had Goff’s words in mind when he made a pandemic project of creating thousands of pieces of inspiring artwork to give away.
Cole, a United Kingdom-based wedding industry professional whose livelihood was put on hold when the coronavirus pandemic put a pause on large events, decided to pursue his dream of being an artist by creating a set of watercolor and calligraphy “positivity prints” to give away. Unfortunately, Cole doesn’t ship outside the UK, but you can still get a dose of inspiration by taking a look at his work here.
His “Happy Art Prints” feature uplifting messages like “In a world where you can be anything, be kind,” “Here’s to the ones who dream” and “The best is yet to come.”
“The power of positive sayings has helped me mentally a lot when I’ve been in tough times,” Cole told the BBC. And with everyone spending more time at home, he believes that his warm, colorful works can uplift and encourage. “In my experience,” he writes on his website, “having something beautiful on your walls that you can look at while you move around your house or flat is fantastic to keep a positive frame of mind.”
With so many facing new financial struggles, buying art might take a backseat to other, more daily necessities. So Cole hopes that giving thousands of prints away will encourage people today—and inspire them to come back and buy a print in the future, when they are able.
In the meantime, he is giving away love—and art, and positivity—like he’s made of it. What examples of love-filled generosity have you encountered recently?
