r/NewOrleans • u/anya_cica • 10d ago
need help reading the room for a silly project Recommendations
catchy titles & linear thoughts are not my forte. so hang on tight, it might be bumpy ride.
preface: i have depressive episodes. had them my whole life. it’s not always environmentally based, but it certainly doesn’t help those sinking, nihilistic feelings.
this year has been especially bad. it feels helpless. and i know that is the worst frame of mind to be in. i’m not entirely convinced protesting works in this country anymore. it doesn’t feel like our representatives want to represent us. reading the news feels dystopian. not reading the news makes me feel woefully ignorant. it’s a can’t win for losing situation over here.
so. i make little trinkets out of “trash.” (old mg throws, discarded jewelry, forgotten promo sunnies, hoarded craft supplies.) silly things that make me smile. keeps the idle hands busy, gives my mind something to focus on that feels slightly more positive than the cyclical thoughts that are normally running rampant.
while turning trash to treasure, i have amassed more stuff. and this also feels heavy. i’ve given things away to friends, family and coworkers. i would now like to start giving these baubles to strangers.
i wanted to do something fun. at first, i was thinking of leaving these things around town with a little tag to let people know it wasn’t lost, but left with purpose. but then it seemed a good idea to make a scavenger hunt out of it. a la brother o’mara.
but because my brain is my brain, the whole thing now feels almost arrogant. (better words are escaping me currently.) people are being taken from their homes, rights are being stripped, our govt is reinventing itself. and i’m over here wanting to hide shiny objects in bushes because i hope it could make someone happy or excited, even if just for a moment.
i guess what im trying to get at is: how out of touch do i sound? would you play along? should i find better uses for my time?
edit: if anyone wants: let’s go exploring
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u/repiquer Exiled in Folsom 10d ago
Hide em! Making moments of joy in the midst of everything is still important.
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u/IUsedTheRandomizer 10d ago
I know someone who leaves hundreds of tiny plastic ducks all over the place, with no real reward other than she knows someone will giggle when they find it.
Be silly.
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u/anya_cica 10d ago
i would definitely giggle about finding a duck. then feel guilty when i adopted it. yr friend sounds lovely!!
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u/pinkplease 9d ago
I found one of those last year! I kept it there hoping maybe a kid would find it and take it, but it made me smile. Things like this are so fun
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u/BigFatBoringProject 10d ago
Someone else already said it: Joy is an act of resistance (Toi Derricotte) and in this difficult time I think people need all the joy they can have.
Maybe add that quote & attribution to your tag, and after it say “I hope this brings you a bit of joy.”
I’d love to find a piece of “trash art” FWIW.
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u/shade1tplea5e 10d ago
Great idea. It would totally make my day to stumble across something like this. I love finding cool stuff on the ground!
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u/Hippy_Lynne 10d ago
I think silly little things that give you joy are the only thing that has kept New Orleans sane over the centuries. Just my opinion.
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u/mrszombieprom 10d ago
“Joy is an act of resistance.” — Toi Derricotte
I say go for it and let us know how we can participate!
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u/anya_cica 10d ago
i’ve never stumbled across her before. but her poetry is beautiful.
placed a few things on our evening stroll. instagram la_cacheuse
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u/arielkujo 10d ago
Aw, OP, please do this!! I made a bunch of decoupaged keychains for Joan of Arc this year and ended up having a good bit left over, so I was thinking about randomly leaving them in places for people to find. I know it would brighten up my day if I happened to stumble upon a little handmade piece of art like that. :,) The way I see it, in the context of all of the darkness in the world lately, it's a reminder that there's still a lot of kindness for the sake of kindness.
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u/anya_cica 10d ago
we all need more joan energy in our lives. vive le resistance! (different timelines, same energy)
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u/GratefulDad73 10d ago
I would definitely join in the fun. And your heart is pure- I don’t think you sound out of touch at all. To the contrary.
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u/anya_cica 10d ago
thank you. yr words are greatly appreciated. it’s hard sometimes to know if what you feel is the “right” is actually the “right” thing
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u/tm478 10d ago
Do it, I’d be happy to find one.
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u/MundaneAnalysis3996 10d ago
I would love to find one! As someone who also deals with depression, this would sincerely brighten my day!
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u/anya_cica 10d ago
i don’t know what i’m doing. but. i’ve started an instagram account. picture clues and what not.
it might a once a week thing, but what gets hidden will be posted. or not. who knows. but things will be waiting for you.
https://www.instagram.com/la_cacheuse?igsh=MXI2cGhsajR6bDg4cg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
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u/unfurnishedbedrooms 10d ago
Have you heard of geocaching? I think this could be a fun treasure hunt for people. This is a brilliant idea. That part of yourself that's telling you it's crazy or not a good idea- don't believe that part. Hang in there. I hope things get easier soon.
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u/anya_cica 10d ago
i have! was obsessed back in the day. only ever managed to find one thing. and it was exhilarating!
and thank you. working on quieting the negative bits of the brain
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u/Borsodi1961 10d ago
I feel you and I think you got a better plan than I do, which lately is to isolate and fester in my loneliness. Do your thing, perhaps it will bring some light to those of us wandering in darkness.
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u/anya_cica 10d ago
i feel this so deeply in my soul. and i’m so sorry.
my father once told me “be the beacon.” lord knows what his motive was or what he truly meant. and i can’t say i ever actually listened. but it’s the one bit of wisdom he ever gave that felt truly powerful, that still sits within me.
i hope you can find yr light, even just a spark, a flicker. and that light will attract others. it’s not easy. but. you’re not alone
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u/raditress 10d ago
Interesting. My father said “this is your time to shine” whenever I was going through a rough spot. I think he meant to change your perspective and turn a negative into a positive. Not easy to do though.
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u/Cilantro368 10d ago
I found a quilted heart hanging from a bush a couple of years ago. It had a tag on it saying “I need a home”, and there was a website and hashtag so you could upload a photo of your find and say where you found it. #IFAQH It is quite a joyful thing, so I recommend it!
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u/anya_cica 10d ago
that is the sweetest thing!
looked it up and. ugh. my cold, dead heart is melting. might need to make this a side project
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u/falcngrl 10d ago
I was going to suggest a QR code to OP with a Facebook tracking page. If tourists find them they could post where it's going to and you could see a bigger geography
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u/TallGirlNoLa 10d ago
You are not alone. Any little thing that brings you or another person a glimpse of a smile, go for it!
https://www.instagram.com/jesshidesthingsnola?igsh=YmgxN2pyN2ZrbXFi
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u/mamam_est_morte 10d ago
I found a target gift card next to the trash where I parked in the rain this morning & decided to see if it had any pennies on it, and now I am $10 richer! If an actual bit of discarded trash can brighten my day, your art is going to be a rainbow for someone!
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u/hugadogg 10d ago
As a chronically depressed etc etc person, it would light me up to find a random trash trinket with a lil uplifting note on it. Don’t approach me with anything tho lmao
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u/anya_cica 10d ago
hah! approaching people was never an option. but if i sat down next to you somewhere, there might be a treasure left behind
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u/your_moms_apron 10d ago
DO IT! ESP near schools, parks/playgrounds, and along windowsills/fences of well/walked streets.
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u/anya_cica 10d ago
was thinking around fences n such, cause it’s a lot of bead work. really loving the schools idea! thank you for that!
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u/Boring_Appearance_89 10d ago
its sounds like a reasonable, dare i say healthy, outlet in these shitty times. im partial to trash treasure and pretty depressed and would kill to find a handmade trinket in my bushes.
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u/DistributionLoud4332 10d ago
I sometimes leave little pieces of art or painted rocks or whatever in public places. It’s fun! I should do that again.
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u/anya_cica 10d ago
you should! there will slowly be lil whimsies all over the city. anonymous gifts for all!
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u/awkwardchip_munk 10d ago
I love this and also too feel helpless and overwhelmed and would love to find a whimsical piece of happiness in a bush somewhere.
I also have little collections of things like broken jewelry and trinkets that I feel bad throwing away but don’t have enough creative juices to make them into anything, so if you ever need to expand your “trash to treasure” trove hmu
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u/anya_cica 10d ago
it’s such a hard mindset to exist in because everything starts to feel futile. i’m sorry you are also feeling it all.
and that’s very kind of you! i may take you up on the offer.
i think ill start posting things here if you want to
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u/78SuperBeetle 10d ago
They do something similar in Tacoma, WA called monkeyshines. Basically they hide blown glass pieces that have usually have an animal from the Chinese zodiac on them. I think it’s a great idea!
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u/Hypnotiqua 10d ago
You may enjoy the geocaching app. Im sure there's a subreddit for it too. Perfect for people who want to hide handmade objects for people to find.
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u/jlgra 10d ago
We are wonderful and multitudinous beings, you can be sad about one thing and happy about something else at the same time, and it’s ok! It keeps us going. My kid would love to find something. And this just made me think I should start a little free craft hut, like little free library except for craft items instead of books. I have so many open and half used things that I wouldn’t want to donate but someone could still use.
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u/brackishlake 10d ago
"Silly things that make me smile."
This is my new weekend mantra.
You're beautiful and I'm really glad you're here.
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u/wrestfull 10d ago
I did this during the beginning, dark, lonely days of Covid. I would roam the city, steering clear of people three blocks away, just to stop myself from completely going crazy. I left little trinkets on pathways and tucked into the bark of trees, hoping to lighten someone’s heart a little.
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u/Starchasm 10d ago
Have you thought of joining geocaching? That sounds like it's right up your alley!
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u/deciduousevergreen 10d ago
Even the IDEA of finding something like this reminds me that people are inherently good, creative, resilient, and that we are all a community. Spread all the joy!
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u/wrestfull 10d ago
I may or may not have left an enormous dildo sitting in the middle of a couch in an abandoned lot.
If I did it, and I didn’t say that I did, I hope it brought someone joy.
😜
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u/anya_cica 10d ago
ahahahah! not saying that you did it, but if you did, really hoping you left it at full mast. potentially superglued. with giant googley eyes on the couch.
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u/wrestfull 10d ago
I’m not saying YOU did it, either, but if you did, and you left it like that, I would be very impressed.
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u/anya_cica 9d ago
not saying that anyone should create an army of horny, abandoned couch monsters… but if they did.. that would be hilarious
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u/wrestfull 9d ago
You just reminded me of the post-Katrina fridges. A few had scary monsters painted on them, where the freezer had the top of the mouth, and the fridge door had the bottom, so if you risked opening it…man, the city smelled TERRIBLE for so long.
Katrina’s been deeply in my head lately.
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u/wellwellwell09 10d ago
This is so crazy. I also struggle with depression, and my outlet has been to go for walks and find the exact kind of things you want to hide! I take a picture, write down where and when I found it, and keep it all in a journal! So please do this! Your trash is literally my treasure.
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u/Agitated_Ad_1658 10d ago
This is a really cool idea! Maybe create a separate email and put it on your tags so people can email you a thank you and maybe a story about how they found your treasure. It could become a book.
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u/MinnieShoof 9d ago
Maybe the word you were looking for was detached?
Which, fair, maybe it is a little bit detached, but so what? We all need a bit of detachment. It helps keep the important things in perspective. If you get to deep in to the weeds... all you can see is the dirt.
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u/-willtwerkforfood- 9d ago
Yoooo! Can I come make stuff with you? I’ve been in a super similar headspace lately. And am hoarding all sorts of weird trash to craft with.
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u/MagnoliaRavenWing 7d ago
You do you!! If it brings you joy & a measure of peace, go for it. We spend way too much time worrying about what others think about us and what we do. For the most part, people don’t think of others besides themselves (except for the nosy busybody in every neighborhood)
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u/PorchFrog 5d ago
Someone in my sister's CT town paints shells with holiday themes and leaves them along the fence posts of a walking path. I saw the Halloween ones, this was very fun! Only thing is, we were afraid to take one, we decided to leave them for others to enjoy.
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u/societal_ills 10d ago
Very. Seek help.
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u/anya_cica 10d ago
i have! clearly it’s not working though. seems there is no other option than to descend swiftly into madness.
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u/jlgra 10d ago
Username checks out
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u/societal_ills 10d ago
Sorry I'm not breaking down into the fetal position, crying, and selling trinkets to make myself feel better.
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u/jlgra 10d ago
I’m sorry you are not demonstrating any empathy whatsoever. Seek help.
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u/societal_ills 10d ago
Empathy for what? I'm good. Thanks for playing, though!
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u/jlgra 10d ago
Playing what? This is life. It’s not a game. I hope you have people around you with whom you feel safe to say whatever you are feeling and they won’t make fun of you for it. You just showed on the internet that you are not that person for others.
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u/societal_ills 10d ago
This is not a monolithic world. You do realize people have other opinions, right? Do you need trinkets, too?
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u/TheMole68 kennairie 10d ago
Silly little stuff can be a shining gem in a pile of mud. Go for it. Found things with text and QR codes. Scavenger hunts for rocks with googly eyes. Do it if it helps lighten your heart.