“The Appleton Compassion Project” is a community art project involving 10,436 Appleton, Michigan Area School District K-12 art students. In Fall 2010, participating students received a 6-inch-by-6-inch art panel to draw or paint their idea of compassion.
The inspiration behind the project came from Richard Davidson, PhD — a University of Wisconsin-Madison brain researcher who has found that those who practice compassion have measurably healthier brains. What’s more, Davidson’s research shows that compassion can be learned, and should be practiced, as a skill. “A little more joy might be within everyone’s reach,” says Davidson.
Click here to view the virtual exhibition
There are literally thousands of images on this site. I’ve only had the opportunity to give a few even the most cursory glance. Here’s one that caught my eye -
I believe compassion lives in all of us, often in slumber, and we just need to look beyond the grey that confronts our every hour, often encaging us, and into the beauty we envision for ourselves and our world. Only then will our compassion awaken. When we forgive the wrongdoings of others and simply love, we bring life and color to humanity. With this vibrancy we inspire ourselves and each other to step out of our boundaries to sustain this beauty and, possibly without the realization, we contribute to a positve change in our world. But before we begin, we must search where our compassion lies. We can find it by opening our minds and forgiving, by overlooking rewards, money, and recognition for our deeds and, most importantly, by loving at all costs — even when we are hated for it.
We need to look into the beauty that we envision for ourselves and our world.
Indeed.
