Take the cheerfulness of rainbow sprinkles, add the cathartic value of a teenage diary and throw them together  onto the dirty passageways of New York City. The result is a little NYC phenomenon called Subway Therapy.

Subway Therapy in the 14th Street Passage

Post-it notes of only one shape and size but all different colors are plastered all over the 6th to 7th Ave subway tunnel on 14th Street. Artist Matthew “Levee” Chavez started this and he started in 7 months ago.

He would sit at a desk in the tunnel for several hours, several days a week, opening his ears for listening and paper for writing.  It started with encouraging people to write in a book, then grew to the more open forum of post-it notes.

On November 9th, when 80% of New York City felt at best disappointed, at worst terrified, New Yorkers took to the streets and to the walls. Embracing every writers favorite cliché, The pen is mightier than the sword. 

 

Post-its plaster the walls. Levee curates the 14th Street passageway one, but other stations at Union Square and in Brooklyn have gone rouge. Post-its popping up everywhere.

It’s hard to feel alone when you stick your little colored square of self expression next to someone else’s little colored square of the same. The sheer volume keeps you from over-thinking what you should write. Your want to catch the train makes you churn out something fast. The result is delightfully authentic.

 

“Tuck Frump”, I’m stealing that one.

Find your voice and use it.

Don’t just say “love”. DO LOVE.

Yes. Yes. All this.

It’s overwhelming to read so many thoughts. But more so amazing to see so many so on the same page. It gave me hope standing in the grimy subway tunnel I usually make a point to avoid. Strength in numbers. One post-it on a wall looks sad and forgotten. But a deluge, an army of post-its? They are a statement a creation. Art and a light at the middle of the tunnel…

Have you seen this for yourself? Has it expanded to other places? What would you write on your post-it if you were in NYC?

Learn more about Subway Therapy and see more pictures HERE.