01
Draw
A doodle, a few lines of poetry, a small hello — drawn by hand, one card at a time.
doodles & small hellos · left around campusA small hello,
A small hello,
left where it's least expected
Some days are heavy. One anonymous student draws little doodles and poems on postcards and leaves them around campus — small reminders that you're not the only one, and that it can get lighter.
the journeyOne small card
One small card
can keep moving.
It starts as a doodle at a desk, waits somewhere unexpected, and ends up as part of a stranger's day.
02
Leave
Left somewhere on campus: a bench, a library shelf, a study-room table.
03
found one? you're here
Discover
Someone finds it on an ordinary day. It’s theirs now.
04
Continue
Keep it, pass it on, or leave a little hello of your own.
Draw it. Leave it. Let it travel.
why it works
The idea isn't new. The doodles are.
Leaving anonymous kind notes for strangers is an old idea, and a well-loved one. Here it's just one person, a pen and a stack of postcards. A few who did it first:
Operation Beautiful
Caitlin Boyle started leaving anonymous Post-it notes in public places to push back on negative self-talk. It grew into a movement and a book.
Read on TODAY ↗#postitproject
Students in Newfoundland and Labrador covered school lockers with encouraging sticky notes to brighten their classmates’ day.
Read on CBC News ↗Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
A non-profit that lists leaving positive notes among its everyday kindness ideas — small acts that help people feel less stressed and more connected.
Read on randomactsofkindness.org ↗
OUR ONE RULE
Name the hard part first. Then offer hope.
“Just smile” can make a bad day feel worse — it tells you your feelings are wrong. Every card starts by admitting things can be hard.
✕Just smile! Don't be sad.
✓Everyone goes through hard things. You'll figure this out.
the gallery
Some of the hellos so far.
Every card is drawn by hand by the same shy caterpillar, then left somewhere on campus for a stranger to find.
games
A few minutes, just for you.
Tiny games, each one picked because research suggests it can take the edge off a stressful day — starting with our caterpillar collecting postcards.
Caterpillar Trail
PLAY · 5 MINGuide the caterpillar around and collect the postcards. Every card makes it a little longer.
Based on: Casual video games, mood and stress (J. of CyberTherapy & Rehabilitation, 2009) ↗Card Catch
PLAY · 1 MINPostcards drift down like leaves — catch them in the caterpillar’s basket. One calm minute, nothing to lose.
Based on: Casual games, depression and anxiety (ECU, randomized controlled study, 2011) ↗Tidy Up
PLAY · 3 MINSteer a little robot vacuum, pick up the postcards and get back to the dock before the battery runs out.
Based on: Mindful dishwashing and stress (Mindfulness, 2015) ↗Need an idea? Here’s one small thing to do today.
want to join in?
Pass it on.
The caterpillar draws most of the cards — but anyone can leave one. You don't need to be an artist: a card, a pen and one kind sentence is enough.
- 01
Write what you’d want to find
Think of a bad day you’ve had. Write the words that would have helped. A doodle counts too.
- 02
Leave it somewhere unexpected
A study-room table, a bulletin board, the back of a library chair — anywhere it’s allowed and easy to spot.
- 03
Let it go
No name, no follow-up. The person who finds it doesn’t owe you anything — that’s the whole point.
when it's more than a bad dayYou are never
You are never
navigating alone.
Our cards are for ordinary hard days. Some days need more than a note — and there are real people ready to listen, for free, any time of day.