Prop and Generosity Performance Art

Since being in college I've bought an insane amount of the small discounted flower bouquets from Trader Joes. I buy it whenever I want to add color to my dorm room or get a small gift for my friends. Because this project was about generosity, I immediately thought about using flowers as my prompt. 

For the performance I handed out a triangle piece of newsprint, one flower, and string to each person in the class. While I was handing it all out, I prompted people to think about a recent moment where they had felt lonely. I then asked each person to write something simple that they would have appreciated in that loneliness. I then asked everyone to pass the paper to the right and write down the same phrase or affirmation. The papers made it around the entire table so that each one had a list of 18 different affirmations written on it. Each person then took their paper and wrapped it around the flower I had given them at the beginning. As they were assembling their flower I went around and assigned everyone a specific person on campus that they were supposed to give their flower to. Some people were assigned the DC front desk worker, some were assigned teachers, others were assigned to custodial staff. 

My idea was basically to give the gift of having something to give away. Gifting the gift of generosity itself. I wanted it to reflect the love languages of words of affirmation through the wrapping paper, as well as gift giving with the flowers.

As a final charge to the class I read from 2 Corinthians 8:11-12 "Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one does not have."

I think the performance was a little fast paced because of the time constraint given to present it. However, I enjoyed performing it, and I hope people followed through on their flower giving.