day nine: create - spread the light

There’s no doubt that this time has brought challenges for many. Despite the sadness, our circle has spent this period searching for the silver linings.

The Saturday afternoon spent reading without the need to go anywhere. The smile from a neighbor through the window. A little extra time in the morning to sleep-in. A Zoom chat that reconnects old friends.

Sometimes they can be difficult to notice, but we’ve kept an eye out for the bright spots and shared what we've discovered.

Today, we invite you to spread some of that light along with us.

We were recently inspired by the Instagram account @wordsfromthewindowseat, where flight attendant, Taylor Tippet, shares hidden notes and inspiring passages on the windows of unknowing passengers. We loved the idea and thought how fun it would be to deliver surprise messages to our wider circles.

Today, we’ll be creating little notes of inspiration and leaving them (safely) for an unsuspecting friend or stranger. We can imagine the smile a fly on the wall might see! Ready to join us?

1. Gather your materials. Grab bits of scrap paper, watercolor paper, or whatever you have on hand! If you’d like, you can also collect some markers, stickers, or paint (use what you’ve got!).

2. Pull out your favorite book, or Google, for inspiration. Or—better yet—write something from the heart! Think of what you might want to say to those who catch a glimpse of your note.

3. Have fun writing and decorating your note.

4. Spread the light! Leave your notes around your house, or in places you find while you're out.

A few of our favorite spots…

• Tucked behind a mailbox

• A window sill or car windshield

• Behind a signpost, or the house numbers of a door

• On the mirror (to surprise your family or housemates!)

When you're done, snap a pic and share it with us using #valomaine. We'd love to see what you've crafted and the ripples that it will create. Come along!

If you come along and post a photo and tag @valomaine on Instagram or Facebook, we'll enter you in a raffle to win a prize--like a gift card from our friends at Rosemont Market & Bakery or a year-long subscription from the good folks at Taproot Magazine.

Ready to dive in?

Each evening of valo at home, we'll be sharing an email with the next day's spark of valo inspiration. Simply click here to share your email, and we'll make sure you're looped in! You can also forward this post to a friend and invite them to come along. The more the merrier.