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    13 Sticky Note Messages That Will Restore Your Faith In Humanity

    "Don't be scared, you are not alone, I love you, New York loves you, and we will protect you." From Signs of Hope: Messages from Subway Therapy.

    In the days after the 2016 US presidential election, subway tunnels in New York City began to become covered in sticky notes containing moving messages of hope, compassion, and unity.

    The notes were part of a project called Subway Therapy, which actually began six months before the election. The creator, artist Matthew “Levee” Chavez, started the project as a safe space and outlet for emotional release.

    Levee told BuzzFeed about how the project began and what he hopes people will take away from it:

    In May of 2016, I created Subway Therapy to explore how people feel better about the things they feel bad about. For months I had face to face conversations as "the subway therapist," but after the election I wanted to reach more people. I brought sticky notes into the subway so commuters could write something quickly on their way to or from work. New York is generally a lonely and stressful place to live and I wanted to provide an opportunity for spontaneous connection and relief.

    Aside from making people happy, I hope participants walk away empowered to make a difference in their own way. Worldwide, we face incredibly complex problems, and I hope projects like mine inspire people to develop creative solutions.

    Here are some of those sticky note messages, captured in the new book Signs of Hope: Messages from Subway Therapy.

    1. "Don't be scared, you are not alone, I love you, New York loves you, and we will protect you."

    2. "To the anonymous young man who gave me a big hug and told me 'we'll get through this together' as I sobbed on Broadway @ 55th at 2:30 AM 11/9, thank you. It helped... a lot."

    3. "There's a sense of togetherness wafting over the city, a sense of solidarity in our pain. I believe that pain will turn to fight. I want to still have hope."

    4.

    5. "We are the human family."

    6. "Let's be there for one another. Let's love. Let's listen. We all matter."

    7. "I am not an American but my son is. I will show him pictures of this wall to teach him how we can find hope in dark times, and to show him what American can and should be."

    8. "We are a country of immigrants. Migration is beautiful. My great-grandfather was one of the immigrants who helped build this subway system."

    9. "You are not alone. WE are not alone and we cannot let them fool us into thinking we are."

    10. "I dare you to simply listen. (To each other)"

    11. "Every day is a little harder but I know I have to keep going and fighting for those that can't."

    12. "As a girl, I didn't need to be saved, just HEARD. Women's rights = human rights"

    13. "Just listen."

    Signs of Hope will be released on Oct. 24. To learn more, click here.