Did anyone ever tell you that good things come in small boxes? Turns out this is true, particularly when it comes to This Box is For Good. As described on their website, innovators Lisa Chandler and Peter Rukavina call this initiative “part art project, part generosity project.” I call it a lovely hybrid of a message in a bottle and a chain letter. You request a box and it shows up in the mail. The art project part is immediately evident, as the box itself is the canvas for intricate original print work. Inside the box, you will find a small goodie—often a lovely bookmark–to keep. The generosity part is the understanding that when the moment is right, you will pass it along, repacked with whatever kind of good you wish (or can manage).
I am a repeat participant because I love the idea so much.
What kind of good can come in a box? So many kinds. I have sent seven boxes out into the world, and almost each one was different. Some of the printed artwork suggested content to me; a box sporting a coffee cup print was sent to a friend who had moved away–full of beans from the favorite coffee shop she left behind. I stuffed a box with a floral print with narcissus bulbs for a gardener friend; my back-up is always local chocolate coins. In turn, my recipients have thought carefully as they filled the boxes with the next person in mind. One told me that her niece sent it to an online friend she had never met in person filled with “a mini vase with mini plastic flowers, some queer pride stickers, and a card by a favorite artist.” My sister-in-law sent a special eraser/print medium to a newly retired friend who was taking up printing, and another friend included “things I had on hand that would fit in the box, were all tokens of love, and items that would make anyone smile: a small plant made of LEGOs, a book mark, and a piece of chocolate.”
I’m lucky to have enough friends that it’s always meant some deliberation in figuring out to whom to send the box. Some I have mailed across the country, and some I have delivered in person. Two have been birthday gifts for people who already have everything. When a close friend moved away, the box enabled me to show her that I missed her. And, the more I requested boxes, the pickier I got about the recipient; I had to be sure that they would honor the “message in a bottle” spirit and pass it along without any nagging from me! Some boxes have had a quick turn-around, but there are other people who need time for inspiration about what to put in the box, and also give some thought about what makes a good recipient. My long-distance friend told me that she had given hers to someone she thought of “as a connector, and who was experiencing a challenging time of her life.” Another recipient sent her box to someone she knew would “pay it forward,” and my sister sent hers to someone she knew it would “bring happiness.”
Where are my boxes now? Tucked inside the box itself is a zine to explain the process and direct you to a website with a map for tracking the journey of any box that is registered and sent out into the world. I can see where any of my registered boxes have landed to date. One of my earlier ones appears in four places so far. Just as the boxes have gone globally, Lisa and Peter have invited printers around the world to participate, decorating the plain brown boxes with their own stunning art, and folding these into the whole This Box is for Good system. I love this project and have loved participating. These boxes have brought a lot of good into my life; they’ve deepened my awareness of and appreciation for printing aesthetics and technique. They’ve been an enjoyable break from the routines of my daily life, and allowed me to share a little fun with people I care about in a tangible way–beyond texts and phone calls. I can’t wait to see where Box #805 will land next.
Valerie Bang-Jensen lives in Burlington, VT, USA.