Oh! this is creativity.
Many of you must have seen it
through a viral or an e-mail. The New York transit system is a
world-beater,
and it deserves better than the relentless negativity that seems to be
directed
its way by commuters. Did you know that New York is one of the most
sustainable
cities on the planet -per capita greenhouse emissions are around a third
of the
rest of the USA- and that's largely thanks to the subway system, and the
five
million people who use it every day?
A campaign instigated by Manhattan designer Reed Seifer to distribute 14 million Metrocards emblazoned with the word "Optimism" to New York commuters kicked off in November 2009 under the MTA's Arts in Transit program. He's been an optimism promoter since the early ‘80s after an experience as a young boy with his father and a homeless man. He wrote a thesis on optimism and then started selling buttons. Now he's reached exponential scale. The naysayers were quickly vocal "I am optimistic that the MTA is mismanaged and the fares will continue to go up while service goes down", and the sarcastic sucker-punch: "I feel better already." Seifer is an artist and graphic designer based in New York City. More information about the artists work can be found at his website: www.projectoptimism.com
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