Annals of Sticktivism: You Are Beautiful

It's a simple message one group of artists sees as an antidote to the constant barrage of consumer culture: You Are Beautiful.


A simple, powerful statement they've worked into a number of installations--from street art to gallery exhibitions in Italy, New York, Chicago and Portland, to name a few. And their favorite collaborator, as it turns out, is you. 


'You Are Beautiful' stickers are available for free (or by donation) on their website, and have been posted by admirers of this positive statement all over the world. 

From the You Are Beautiful artists' statement:
The intention behind this project is to reach beyond ourselves as individuals to make a difference by creating moments of positive self realization. We're just attempting to make the world a little better. 

The essence, we believe, of Sticktivism. 

Annals of Sticktivism: Textbook Disclaimer Stickers

Since 1996, Alabama has mandated that an evolution disclaimer sticker be placed in every biology textbook in the state. Frustrated with this--as well as a similar set of stickers used by the Texas Board of Education and Georgia's Cobb County School District--Swarthmore associate professor of evolutionary biology Colin Purrington decided to take matters into his own hands and create some stickers himself.

Printable on a home printer on standard-sized labels, many of these stickers mimic the language of the Cobb County disclaimer, which reads: "This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered."

Many of Purlington's labels were also designed to go on science textbooks, pointing out that things like gravity and heliocentricism are also scientific theories--while others are actually designed for pseudo-science books promoting creationism.


Apparently, Purlington has received some hate mail for his efforts on behalf of science education--but we imagine, with over 4 million visitors to this page, he's made some friends, as well. 

Annals of Sticktivism: I Park Like an Idiot

Most of our posts from the wide world of Sticktivism deal with people doing their best to make the world a better place with stickers. (Yes.) Through Journalism Warning Labels, for example, or These Come From Trees.

These stickers, however, don't want to save the world. They just want to provide some stress relief for the driving public.

Now you, too, can turn your annoyance at the sheer stupidity of those who park badly into an instant laugh, for yourself and others. Just keep your I Park Like an Idiot stickers handy, when you see someone hogging two parking spots, blocking traffic, missing those white lines by a mile (or in any other way parking like an idiot) just pull out one of these stickers while no one's looking and...well, we didn't tell you to do it.

I Park Like an Idiot stickers are 10 x 3 inches and bright yellow, so no one will be able to miss them--and they're low-tac, so they're not that hard for the offending driver to remove. Available in packs of 20 for $10.

Annals of Sticktivism: Journalism Warning Labels

There has been plenty of bellyaching recently about the state of modern journalism, from the increasingly accepted use of unnamed sources to veiled (or not so veiled) political biases in ostensibly neutral publications.

Frustrated no end by this sort of thing--especially among the free publications he often found while traveling the London Underground--UK resident Tom Scott decided to take matters into his own hands.

His "Journalism Warning Labels" function like a DIY guerrilla media criticism class for travelers. They're available in both the UK and the US and formatted for print-out on standard sized Avery labels.

How do they work? Simply locate the offending article, select the most appropriate label from your sheet, stick it on or near the article, and leave the publication in the subway, bus, or coffee shop where you found it. Those who peruse the paper later will be forewarned.