clay stones with affirmations, mantras, etc

[NeuroBeautiful]

Hey all of you lovely people,

Soooooo....I can't say I've been free from self harm entirely. I still have been cutting myself and skin picking though not nearly as much as I used to. Anyway...

I've been having this thought for a while to do this thing, finding rocks and washing them then painting on them and writing positive messages then hiding them in parks and public spaces among all the other rocks and have people find them. I really love that idea. I feel like if someone was having a bad day and then finds a stone with a positive message, it can really help someone even if it can't necessarily change the situation. It might help someone shift their perspective of just feel cared about. And I love doing things like that to brighten people's day even if it is anonymously done and may never meet the person

Then today at the treatment program, we were given clay and prompted to write affirmations or mantras (how interesting that this week especially ibe been thinking of doing this project durine my free time and even started planning to start looking for smooth rocks outside and think of places to hide them.

Today we only shaped them and thought about ideas. Next week when the clay is dried we paint and write it out. But had me wondering like wow clay is SO much easier than painting on natural rocks. However the ones we were making today are meant for us to keep not necessarily to hide in nature. I don't want to be unfriendly to the environment so I'm hesitating to use manufactured clay for the hidden stones project but as a personal item for ourselves to carry with, sounds like a great idea.

Do any of you have store bought or hand made stones with messages on them? Do you find them helpful for coping with stress?

Have you ever tried the hidden stone idea or do you keep the stone for yourself?

I am curious how it will turn out. I would also love to see a Teenhelp article about this if we don't already have one because I feel like it might be helpful? I wouldn't mind writing it myself or co-writing with someone. We can include both methods of clay and the natural rock methods. And we can include do'a and don'ta for safety and for staying eco-friendly like not using glitter if you plan on hiding them around in public places because glitter can be harmful to the environment.

Do you think having an article in the Teen help article section about this can be helpful for those of you searching for coping skills that involve an arts and crafts activity? Or just for the purpose of having a personalized product at the end? (What I mean is that the coping can be two fold because art making process is a SH alternative in itself and then there's the product to be carried with and used as well)

[Ennui.]

One of my therapists that I had in high school gave me a worry stone. Hers was completely smooth actually but it helped me a lot. I would carry it in my pocket with me and when I felt anxious or upset I'd be able to hold on to it. Once I thought I lost it and was super upset actually and so I bought one with a word on it and that was nice too. Then a few months later I randomly found the original one out of nowhere (I thought it fell out of my pocket outside somewhere) so now I have two!

A hidden stones type one feels cool too! That way people can take them if they want, or even if they leave it there sometimes just seeing the message can help.

I also think an article would be nice.

I think that something like this would be a great article! A lot of people are artistic and like doing DIY stuff. It's actually something that could be utilized as a coping skill.

[hocus pocus]

I have a few store bought and handmade stones with messages on them. I have worry stones and I sometimes carry them around with me for grounding. I plan on bringing one to school. I also have bracelets with little sayings like "Be kind" that I like.

I do like the hidden stones idea and I'd definitely give it a try. An article on this would be really cool and I'd be more than happy to help you out with it.

[NeuroBeautiful]

Thank you all of you for sharing you experiences and feedback. Who can I speak to about an article idea?

[Ennui.]

Try either Cassado, the Article officer.

You would talk to Cassie or Haley (Halcyon).

If you were interested in writing articles more often you could also consider joining the articles team. You wouldn't have to become an editor. I originally started off by just kind of being on the team and contributing when I could. Here is the link: http://www.teenhelp.org/misc.php?do=form&fid=36

You don't have to join the articles team to get something published though. I believe that they will let people that aren't on the team submit stuff since I know of a few instances where that has happened.