Nature inspires, and so do kind words.
Those who gathered for the first time last week as a local branch of The Kindness Rocks Project are combining those inspirations in hopes of a positive community impact.
Fifteen women, many of whom had never met, decorated painted rocks Tuesday night on the patio at Roundhouse Brewery. Once adorned with such words as "Dare to Dream," "Be Joyful" and "Look for Rainbows," the rocks will appear at Brainerd and Baxter parks for others to stumble across.
"I think you always feel better when you're doing something for someone else," said Kelly McConkey while painting Tuesday. "And I think this is a neat way to do it."
The group came together over a mutual friend's social media post about The Kindness Rocks Project, an initiative started by women's empowerment coach Megan Murphy near Cape Cod. The idea behind the project was simple: Murphy wished to leave signs for people who might be searching for one.
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"During difficult or stressful moments in my life, I found myself looking for 'signs' on my morning walk, such as a heart-shaped rock or a piece of sea glass," Murphy wrote on her website. "I perceived these small beach treasures as 'signs' or as a divine message, and the random inspiration I needed to signify that things would be OK. Maybe I wasn't the only one looking for such signs. Thus, The Kindness Rocks Project was born."
Jessica Redepenning of Baxter was inspired by Murphy's story and shared it on her Facebook page. It wasn't long before friends of hers became inspired as well, and soon discussion turned toward starting a group in Brainerd.
Redepenning said she liked the idea, but didn't feel she could rely on herself to manage the logistics of starting a group. Her friend Janie Martin, a teacher at Garfield Elementary, agreed to organize a gathering once the school year finished. Martin started a Facebook group and nearly 200 members have joined since.
"I just feel like there's so much negative things going on that people hear about, that it would be a nice thing to wander across," Redepenning said.
"I feel like my reason's a lot the same as Jessica's," said Melissa Hagen of Baxter. "On social media, the negativity is a little bit overwhelming. We could use it to spread some kindness. It will be a great thing to get kids involved with."
McConkey, also a friend of Redepenning's, jumped on the idea. She contacted officials from Brainerd and Baxter, asking permission for the group to leave the rocks in city parks for unsuspecting wanderers to find. Permission was granted, with the request of placing them outside a lawnmower's path.
"I just thought it'd be a cool way to spread inspiration to others," McConkey said. "And then to be not even acknowledged or have the person know you is kind of a neat thing. That you could help somebody else without telling them it was you."
Murphy offers suggestions for rock decorating and asks participants to follow a few guidelines.
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Smooth rocks work the best, and Murphy advises spraying or painting the rocks with a nontoxic paint as a base. Then, she suggests using oil-based paint pens to complete the detail work. Finally, she recommends sealing the rocks with nontoxic clear sealant, such as Mod Podge, to protect the rocks from the elements.
To create unity among the many groups across the U.S. taking part in The Kindness Rocks Project, Murphy asks artists to include #TheKindnessRocksProject on the back of each rock created. People can share photos of the rocks they find using this hashtag as well. Those who find a Kindness Rock are asked to pass it along themselves, by either finding a new place for the rock they've discovered or creating one to leave for someone else to be inspired by.
The local group intends to continue organizing meetups to decorate Kindness Rocks, including events with kids in the future. To find out more, join "TheKindnessRocksProject - Brainerd" group on Facebook. Those unable to attend the events can still take part in the project at home. Visit www.thekindnessrocksproject.com for more information and to view the map of participating communities.
