New: Tiny Signs of Hope

Creativity and resistance--a lovely combination.

On May 22, 2025, we had our second Creative Change-Makers zoom call. We listened to music, kept each other company, and made tiny signs of hope and resistance.

At the beginning of the call, I shared samples of what a tiny sign could look like—from ridiculously simple post-it notes and tiny office labels to mini ‘flags’ and “photo puppets”—and then we all got to work I mean play. We tossed around ideas, asked each other questions, and shared our final products along the way.

It was ninety minutes of relaxation, creativity and fun.

Practice Makes Perfect

The trickiest part of tiny sign making isn’t making them, it’s remembering to bring them with you when you run your errands. And that’s what I’ve been working on since our zoom call.

Because tiny sign distribution requires a tiny distribution plan. Even if it’s just figuring out how not to get them all crumpled up in your pocketbook.

But practice makes perfect. And I’m getting better. I’m also developing a few “best practices” like keeping an extra sharpie marker and post-it note pad in the car at all times. Oh, and a cheat sheet of little facts that matter to me—it makes whipping up new post-it note messages a snap.

I’ve also gotten braver and more relaxed about posting my signs in various public places because, in trying to be stealth, I’ve noticed how little other people notice what I’m doing. I also thought it would be harder to take photos of my little protest signs, but that’s surprisingly easy. Because again, no one is paying attention to me.

I know, I find it as hard to believe as you do.

I also hang up my little handmade signs even if they have wobbly writing or other imperfections. Because it’s good to remember these signs are temporary. It’s also good to remember that seeing an imperfect hand-written sign in an unexpected place can affect another human being more than you might think.

Putting up tiny signs changes us personally and affects others at the same time—strengthening the larger field of resistance in subtle ways that matter.

And yes, tiny signs alone won’t change the world. But they are not an end in themselves. They’re one part—a fun and creative part—of a larger picture of pro-activity that might include attending protests, writing to your congressperson, or supporting vulnerable populations in your community.

Your actions make a difference. Why not make some of them fun? Or naughty? Or irreverent? Or goofy? Or charming…..

Your tiny signs can be anything you want.

More Tiny Sign Tips, Tricks, and Observations

• Everything has its place. I like making post-it note signs and writing messages on tiny office labels because they are fast, easy, and get the job done. I like making my “flag” and “photo puppet” signs because they are creative and more substantial. As an artist with a strong practical side, doing both works for me. What works best for you?

• It can really help to have a theme (or two) when you’re creating your signs. For instance, I made a bunch of signs about how the planned budget cuts to SNAP would affect my particular state because specificity is good.

• Repetition is also good. You could write one message 50 times and stick them up whenever you think of it. One of mine is “Tax the Rich.”

• Sticking post-it note messages at eye level in a rest room stall or tacking a tiny sticker above the salt and pepper shakers at your local diner is actually more fun and satisfying than it sounds.

• Finally, using scotch tape is awkward and hard because you have to juggle the tape dispenser, your tiny signs, your shopping bags and whatever else you’re carrying. That turns trying to “hang” your sign into a whole thing. No one wants that.
  Instead, I now use those teensy rectangular office labels I was telling you about earlier as a tape substitute if I need to adhere a sign manually. So yes, sometimes the tiny labels are a sign and sometimes they hold up a sign. It’s all very meta—what can I say.

Out in the Wild

Here are a few photos of my tiny signs out in the world. I’m hoping that seeing them might goad you into doing the same.

I think of these photo signs on the coffee stirrers as my little “puppets.”

This one is probably my favorite. The stick helps the image stand upright easily.

A rest room door in a rural lunch place. I posted them at eye level for whomever is sitting on the toilet.

I love writing short messages on these tiny office labels and sticking them in odd ball spots in a restaurants or bars. They are like a secret message to whomever sits there next.

More secret messages on fluorescent office labels for the next customer who sits at this table.

I’m obsessed with flags, so it was inevitable that I made a few that look like pennants.

Zines

Our next Creative Change-Makers zoom call is a Zine-Making workshop on Wednesday, June 25th at 3pm Pacific, 4pm Mountain, 5pm Central and 6pm Eastern.

I’ll be demonstrating how to make a tiny one page “book” from a single piece of paper. We’ll then add a simple message that you can illustrate and embellish…or not.

Constructing the physical “zine” part is super easy and I’ll start everyone off with a finished template. Then I’ll offer ideas and techniques for creating the content for your new little book—simple ways to marry text and images that can make a short message engaging and impactful.

Here’s an example of a zine from a single piece of paper I made before the election last November.

I’ll create a template zine for us all to make together, so even if you don’t have an idea yourself, you’ll still have a completed zine by the end of the workshop.

And because it’ so simple and fun, we’ll all make a second one with a blank piece of paper so the technique sinks in. Then we’ll have fun writing our messages and embellishing our little books. And if you don’t have ideas, that’s okay, someone else in the group will have one you can borrow.

I hope you join us. Click here for more details.

Hits of Beauty & Inspiration

This week I also saw two great documentaries—Gaucho Gaucho and Georgia O'Keeffe: The Brightness of Light.

Gaucho Gaucho is about the Gaucho (cowboy) culture of Argentina. The film itself is gorgeous and the way these communities live their lives is so…compelling. Talk about a small footprint on the planet!

The movie is filmed in black and white which is always soothing, but this cinematography is next level—it’s like watching a moving silver print. My physical eyeballs literally felt soothed. Did I mention it was gorgeous?

And yes, you can see it streaming but if there is any way you can watch it on the big screen, please do. The scale of the movie theater screen adds an important dimension to the visual experience.

I’m desperate to see it again.

I also loved this new Georgia O’Keefe documentary. I’m constantly taking out a beautiful book of her early watercolors from my local library, and it was wonderful to see this overview of her life and work. She was a powerhouse and totally committed to herself.

Watching these two movies fed my soul and re-grounded me after my weeks of self-imposed overwhelm. It’s interesting to experience beauty as a means to gain perspective on what matters in life. The necessity of beauty to maintain one’s sanity is so underrated in our culture.

Thoughts?

How about you? What do you think about the whole tiny sign thing? Or have you watched or read anything great lately? Has a hit of beauty soothed your savage breast?

Leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you.