It was a rainy evening.
The colorful umbrellas of passengers patiently waiting for their jeepney ride toward home. On the sidewalk, the sound of rushing footsteps and splashing rain puddles from students to avoid demerits on their night classes. Utensils clinking from nearby restaurants and people chitchatting after the week’s first day.
It was a typical busy rainy Monday in downtown Davao City. “Basig gusto ninyo ipintal inyung gibati karung adlawa.”, a girl broke the daily business of Dabawenyos as she approached a group of college friends who were curiously staring at the big blank canvas mounted on the sidewalk with brushes and acrylic paints beside it.
They eagerly picked paintbrushes and started painting on the canvas with colors they think can best represent their emotions. One man waiting for the almost non-existent jeepney stared at the canvas and said “Wala man ko’y gibati run.” And he painted black circles on the canvas. “Igawas na dira imung gibati!” Friends teased their seemingly broken-hearted friend as they walked past the canvas. An artist stopped in front of the canvas and painted combination of colors. “Imposible isa ra uy. Mixed gyud na.” Friends, lovers, and parents with their little kids noticed the canvas and painted their chosen colors as it speaks of their emotions for that day.
Nurses from hospital duty told bystanders that painting is a form of therapy through freely expressing emotions because oftentimes it is harder translating it into words. An hour past and the canvas sparked conversations and inquiries on Mental Health. Painters acknowledged their emotions and were not embarrassed to show it in public.
People were asking where to go if they ever feel the need to talk someone. They were ensuring each other that there will be someone willing to help. On a typical rainy Monday evening in downtown Davao City, Dabawenyos created a safe space.
Paint Your Feelings was a social experiment brought in collaboration with Ryan Gersava from Virtualahan, Pia Duran from Padayon; Global Shapers-.Davao Hub and Google Business Group.-Pia Duran/ NewsLine
