I cannot do it alone
Every time I sit at my craft table, the mess of paints, the brushes, the paper scraps, they remind me of the pure joy of creation.
But more than that, it reminds me of the power that these little creations hold.
This messy, imperfect process of mine is not just about making art, it’s about making connections and making people feel seen.
Every time I hold a paintbrush or get my fingerprints on a piece of paper, it is a possibility to brighten someone’s day, to lift them up, and to remind them that they matter.
And that’s exactly what my book is about.
I’m calling it “Little Tokens of Love, Big Ripples of Happiness” because it’s a book about creating with purpose, with heart, and with kindness.
I’ve always believed that art can be a form of love, not just for others, but also for yourself. If you know anything about my past, you know how much art saved me, so many times, over and over.
But it wasn’t until I began sharing my handmade tokens with strangers that I truly understood its transformative power.
This book is my love letter to those of you who have a desire to make the world a bit kinder. Maybe you have felt unseen all your life and you want to be the change! Perhaps, you simply want to create a moment of connection.
But it starts, first, with us. The world cannot become kinder if we are not kind to ourselves. It has to start with you .. with me .. with giving ourselves grace.
I know what it’s like to hesitate, to feel unsure, to worry about, you know, what I’ve made is not good enough, but I’m hoping that this book will invite you to let go of that fear.
To be kind to yourself first, to allow yourself to make mistakes, to play on a single sheet of big paper, to embrace the beauty of imperfection, to tear it all, and to create again with what you have deconstructed.
Because in those imperfect moments, something beautiful is happening.
You’re piecing yourself back together again.
You’re discovering your own voice.
I do it every day. But the next step is the one that’s most powerful.
Once we’ve created, we’ve spent time with this. We’ve poured our soul, our heart, our energy into it.
We don’t keep it to ourselves.
We give it away.
We share it with someone who might be having a rough day or someone who didn’t expect to be noticed or appreciated.
Someone who’s just doing their job, bagging the groceries or delivering mail or checking you into the hotel room.
These everyday invisible workers are the heartbeat of our communities and they deserve to be reminded that they are worthy.
I’ve led so many workshops over the years, and the most incredible thing I’ve seen is this shift happening when people start to share their handmade tokens with others.
Suddenly that fear of not being good enough fades away, and they realize it’s not about perfection, it’s about intention.
One of the stories that has stuck with me comes from Debbie Willis, who took one of my workshops. She said that she gave a handmade bookmark to a flight attendant who had been so kind to all the passengers.
Towards the end of the flight, he came back and thanked her again, saying that he would cherish it forever.
Debbie wrote to me, “I was stunned. Who knew that something so small could mean so much to someone else?”
That’s what this book is about.
It’s about the moments we create, not just for ourselves, but for others.
Moments that remind people they are valued … and that’s why I want your stories in this book.
These moments of connection are not random — they’re intentional and they matter and you and your stories matter so I’m inviting you to create, to connect.
I love that this project hasn’t just changed my life and given it purpose, but that it’s brought so many of you along with me, of varying levels of artistic experience, in making these little tokens of love.
And over and over I hear the same thing: “I didn’t know I could do this. I didn’t know my art could make someone else smile.”
And that’s the magic of it.
The art we create doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be real.
It needs to come from the heart.
And when we share it with others, we create a ripple effect of kindness.
It’s small, it’s powerful, and it transcends the art itself. It’s a moment of human connection.
It’s a brief exchange that says, you matter, I see you.
I know you feel that same joy and that same sense of purpose. And I hope that this book will inspire you to reconnect with your own creativity, to find the confidence in your own artistic voice, and to know that what you make has value.
I want you to feel the power of giving something you’ve made with your hands to someone who might need it more than you know. And I want you to share those stories with me so I can put them in my kindness ambassadors section.
There are so many people we interact with in our daily lives. There are so many people whose impact we do not recognize.
And my goal is to change that one token of kindness at a time, but I cannot do it alone.
Have you given or received an unexpected act of kindness that left a lasting impression? Have you handed out a handmade token that brightened someone’s day?
Whether it’s a bookmark, a note, or a simple tag, your story can inspire others to take that same leap of creative generosity.
If you’ve experienced a moment of connection through one of these tokens, I’d love to hear it. Please share your story here.
Together, let’s continue to inspire and be inspired.
With gratitude,
Mansi.
Very well said Mansi! Thank you Mansi for the impact you've had on my life all these years!
We're making the world a kinder and better place one token of love at a time, and That makes my heart so happy. ❤
I hope others will share their stories like I did for your book. I love being on this journey with you my friend! ❤