London-based artist turns paper waste into decorative vases
At the Optimist Daily, we love sharing stories of people turning waste sources into beautiful art. In today’s edition of trash-turned-treasure, let us introduce you to Jacqueline de la Fuente, a London-based designer who is turning cardboard and paper waste into decorative vases. To do this, de Read More...
Want a good laugh? Check out the winning comedy pet photos
Pets are wonderful—not only do they give us unconditional love, but they also have a tendency to behave in the silliest of ways. Whether it be a cat chasing a ray of light, or a dog trying to bite its own tail, pets know how to get a good laugh out of us, which is what all of us could use right Read More...
This designer from India is turning cigarette butts into beautiful vases
Cigarette stubs are the most commonly littered items in the world. In fact, 4.5 trillion of them discarded every year. To draw attention to this little-known fact, Indian designer Sachi Tungare collected five kilograms (11 lbs) of cigarette butts by hand to create a collection of multi-colored Read More...
How the retro drive-in is being reimagined in the coronavirus era
The drive-in theater: It’s a nostalgic relic of America’s past that we typically only see on screen rather in real life. At least, that was the case last year. In October 2019, there were only 305 drive-in theaters in the US—and hardly any outside America. But with the pandemic demanding us Read More...
This photo contest will get you lost in cosmic and Earthly beauty
Visiting Earth’s most stunning natural landscapes can leave you with a sense of wonder. The same is true for when you sit beneath the bright stars of the Milky Way. But when you combine the two together, it makes for an indescribable feeling, one that is bigger than ourselves and reminds us just Read More...
This artist sculpted a “Coral Greenhouse” and sunk it to the seabed
A British artist by the name of Jason deCaires Taylor is using his love for sculpting to support the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. What the artist has done is create what he calls a "Coral Greenhouse", which has been sunken to the seabed so its cement and steel frame can be a habitat for marine Read More...
Capturing isolation: This is the best of COVID-19 lockdown photography
With billions of people subjected to some level of stay-at-home order over the past couple of months, the COVID-19 pandemic has delivered one of the most profound shared global experiences humanity has ever seen. That’s why photography social network Agora called out to its diverse community to Read More...
Toronto museum will offer a drive-in Van Gogh exhibit
When a Toronto museum’s Vincent van Gogh exhibit was interrupted due to COVID-19, the museum staff had to pivot and came up with an ingenious new way for people to visit the famous art: a drive-in exhibit. Art lovers will be able to drive into a 4,000 square foot downtown industrial space Read More...
A movement of quarantined artists are painting murals all over their walls
The artistic response to coronavirus pandemic has been incredible. In the past months, we’ve seen everything from a virtual benefit concert by the Rolling Stones to a new Banksy artwork dedicated to health workers. Today, we share with you the first finished products from a collective of artists Read More...
The research-backed mental health benefits of making mediocre art
If your social media feeds are filled with photos of banana bread, rudimentary watercolor paintings, and beginner sewing projects, it may be more than just people acting out of boredom. They’re likely getting other benefits from those efforts, too. Creative practices can offer a buffer against Read More...