You are beautiful

Back in November, I wrote about the unexpectedly spirit-lifting experience I had of opening a mailbox and being greeted with a little silver sticker that said "You Are Beautiful." Weighting Game reader Kate informed me that no, the U.S. Postal System was not communicating with me on the down low, but that I had, in fact, been on the receiving end of a Chicago-based public art campaign called You Are Beautiful.

I was intrigued, so I visited their website and learned about a grassroots group dedicated to spreading this positive message worldwide. Indeed, the stickers have been plastered on airport signs, in public transportation and on electric poles as far away as Italy, China, Switzerland and more. The creators of the site are anonymous (which makes me love them even more than I possible thought I could ) but they've devoted their time and efforts to putting smiles on people's faces and in their hearts.

The web site had an address where I was encouraged to send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope. In exchange, they would send me stickers so I could set out like a body-positive graffiti artists, "tagging" my tush off with these shiny stickers.

They arrived yesterday.

Let me just tell you, you would have thought I was carrying a gargantuan check around in my wallet or a diamond ring or a really embarrassing sex toy - that's how stealth and guarded I was walking around the city, deciding where to place my first sticker. I had planned on planting it on the humongo scale in our locker room but it was crazy-busy today (apparently people get President's Day off?) and I wanted to be covert. So I opened the locker next to me, in a very wel-travelled part of the locker room, and smacked that puppy on the inside door.

After a quick workout, I returned to the scene of the crime and noticed the door was open, sticker gleaming, and pink children's clothes were spilling out. Two feet away, a gaggle of kids (ages 7-8, maybe?) were standing nakesters, post-swim, blow-drying their hair and trading secrets.

Oh, the joy!

I'm serious - I felt elated. One of those girls had opened the locker door and scene that sticker. As did everyone who walked by. I caught a young woman in her 30s strolling by, mopping sweat off her face, as she noticed the sticker. She smiled. Like, a big smile.

This stuff works, people!!

I'm spending the day on Michigan Avenue tomorrow and though I'll mostly be writing, I'm going to dedicate some time to leaving my YAB (You Are Beautiful) mark. Maybe the street light at the corner of State and Grand will get stamped? Perhaps a dressing room at the GAP has some empty space begging to be filled? Hey, I might even go straight to the diet shake section of the grocery store and stick one right there. I almost feel like I need to hoard them - 25 will be gone far too soon.

To receive your stickers (25 silver rectangles plus a long list of the YAB phrase in a slew of different languages, so you can tell someone they're beautiful in Japanese or Hebrew), send a SASE to:

You Are Beautiful
PO Box # 220175
Chicago, IL 60622
USA

It may take between two and eight weeks for your stickers to arrive (I think mine took about a month) - that will give you plenty of time to plot where you'll leave your mark! Have fun and do it! PS They take donations, too :-)

Comments

What a fabulous idea!! I hope you really do put one smack dab in the middle of that big ol' scale! (Which reminds me, did you ever find a link for the pics of you with the scale? It was for your award thingy... After hearing the whole scale story, I want to see how your photoshoot turned out!)

I know just where I will put my first one: on the cover of my journal. The rest I will use for guerilla-tagging around my city but I gotta be selfish and keep one for myself;)

I wonder if I would get in trouble with the library if I put one on the inside cover of a book I just finished reading about diets?

That's awesome. I love the idea of putting it on the scale.
Did you see they decorated block 37 with you are beautiful in different languages?

That's amazing and awesome! I'm SO doing this!

What a great idea! Love the story about the kids in the locker room, too.

I put up two more today - a street pole on Michigan Ave. and the window on the EL. I hope I don't get arrested!!!

Kate, I did see the gorgeous installation of YAB in all those languages. Very poignant the way it stands out in brilliant colors against the drab Chicago winter.

Hope you're all sending away for stickers!

That's an awesome idea! I'm going to do it! And I put this link on my website too to get the word out all the more! :-)

Word is out! Im sending for my stickers today!
Redmond, wa here i come!

Excellent idea! I think it will catch on :)