After running into the Ridgefield CT Rocks Facebook Page, we were stunned by the following of this mysterious group of adults and children. Holding meetups and painting rocks together in our town, this group was created by Quincy Colman, an artist I had the honor of interviewing. After moving to Ridgefield in August, she started this creative group in hopes of inspiring people of all ages to spread kindness in not only in Ridgefield, but also in the world.
What is Ridgefield CT Rocks and how did it come about?
Ridgefield CT Rocks is part of the Kindness Rocks project that is currently happening around the world. We are hoping to promote and inspire kindness right here in Ridgefield, Connecticut. The goal is to get as many people as we can all across our community painting and sharing rocks. The more rocks placed to be found around town, the more kindness connections happen. We hope that this encourages people to get out and rediscover parts of our town that you haven't appreciated in a while. And most of all, to just enjoy yourself. It’s my hope to encourage school, scout, church groups, and any other organizations that are interested, to get involved and start painting. It is a really great community project to do with groups of people of all ages. Adult groups and gatherings like book clubs and other meet-ups that are already getting together are another great option for rock painting. Promoting kindness is what it’s all about.
Who is in charge of the group?
Quincy Colman. I am an artist and art educator, and I started the group with my kids when we moved to Ridgefield in August. Once we started exploring the local area, I realized this project was a perfect fit for a creative town like Ridgefield. I was drawn to this area because of all of the artistic involvement in the community, and people have found so many ways to share their kindness and creativity here. The kids and I have met so many friendly people here already, just walking around town and hiding hundreds of rocks everywhere. My kids were all starting at a new school, so we made some rocks for their teachers and the special people we’ve encountered. It’s a nice way to let people know that you care, and give them an extra boost or a smile. Some residents have really started to embrace the idea of spreading kindness through the rocks in just a few short weeks.
I was first introduced to Kindness Rocks though a group in Venice, Florida. My boys were in a surf camp at the beach in July, and on the very first morning we found our first rock from the Venice group. Joanna Davis started the group down there, and she is also an artist and art educator. She was bringing her son to the same surf camp and hiding rocks every morning. We finally met, and have since become friends through the project. She encouraged me to get the Kindness Rocks movement going locally in Ridgefield, since there was no formal group going when we moved here. The Venice Rocks group has already grown to over 7,000 members since it began in June of this year. It has been really inspirational to see how a small town like Venice has embraced the project, and it made me realize that we could do the same in Ridgefield.
Who can join? How do you become part of it?
Everyone is welcome. We have members of all ages. Whether you want to search for, or paint rocks (or both) it’s fun to be a part something that exists just to make people happy. Some Kindness Rocks groups in towns similar to Ridgefield have several thousand members. We have started out small in our first month, and our member numbers are in the hundreds. But we are growing every day. It would be great as the word gets out to have more and more people join in. Once there are even more “rockers” and rocks out in the Ridgefield community, the project should really take off.
Before placing their creations out there for the world to see, we ask that on the back of the rocks, if people would please label them with the group name “Ridgefield CT Rocks”, or “Please post me on “Ridgefield CT Rocks” Facebook”. This identifies the group and builds interest to find out more about Ridgefield CT Rocks on the Facebook page.
It’s also fun for people who are involved to post pictures to the Facebook page of their painted rocks before they hide them, or when they find them, but people can participate anonymously if they prefer. If you find a painted rock from our group you can either keep it or re-hide it for someone else to find. If you decide to keep a rock, you are encouraged to hide a new rock somewhere in its place, but this is optional!
Some people who are painting rocks really love to see where their creations end up. We have already had some Ridgefield CT Rocks show up in other states, and people in Ridgefield have found rocks in town from all over the United States. The Facebook page helps people keep track of where their rocks are found, and will also have information about groups gathering to meet up to paint.
Where can the community learn more about the group?
You can go directly to our Facebook page “Ridgefield CT Rocks”, and then ask to become a member. We are a public group, and once you are a member, we ask that you please share our page and add any of your friends to our group who would be interested in being part of the fun. It isn’t necessary to join the group to see what is going on, but this way you can post pictures of the rocks you are creating or finding around town.
Is there anything you wish I asked?
I have already heard some great stories from people in the community who were moved by a message or picture on a particular rock they found. Many times, the right rock seems to end up in the hands of the right person at just the right time. It shows how important a small gesture like a smiley face or a meaningful quote can improve someone’s mood, and encourage them to pass it on. The intention of this group activity is singular and simple: to spread kindness. That's it. When you paint a rock and place it out of your possession, we hope people consider it a gift and let go. You may never see or hear of it again. Give just to give. Not because you expect a return. There is something really freeing about letting the rocks you’ve made go, the moment you lay them down.
To learn more about The Kindness Project and how it all began, please click here.