In the wake of so many
recent tragedies, the moment to be grateful for the little things is ripe. Indeed, explicitly expressing gratitude for things that most may take for granted is developing into a profound theme—and a sort of ad-hoc philosophical movement—among documentarians, writers and restaurateurs alike.
365 Grateful: A forthcoming documentary from Australian
mother/daughter filmmakers Toni Powell and Hailey Bartholomew,
365 Grateful is an “exploration of the power of gratitude.” In 2008, Bartholomew embarked on
a personal journey of gratitude by taking a Polaroid photo of one thing for which she was grateful every day. This experiment in positive psychology proved astoundingly effective in helping her ease feelings of depression. Upon sharing her first Polaroid project on Flickr, the exercise became a viral sensation, inspiring others to do the same.
365 Grateful will profile these people, their tales of thankfulness, and how this positive energy can spread to improve lives.
Encyclopedia of Gratitude: Penned by graphic novelist Erich Origen (
The Adventures of Unemployed Man), the
Encyclopedia of Gratitude blog is a swiftly growing collection of ephemera—“from ABBA to Zamboni”—for which the author is grateful. He is currently raising funds,
via Kickstarter, to transform the blog into a coffee table book of 365 entries. Those who donate $100 to the project will be invited to honor a person for whom they are grateful by adding their name to the
“Eternal Gratitude” credits of the book. In the crowdsourced spirit of Kickstarter, he is also accepting the occasional reader-submitted item; contributions thus far include
“a hot shower after camping” and
“the inspirational Lenten rose.”
Café Gratitude: California-based vegan restaurant chain
Café Gratitude is aiming to impart its customers with more than an appreciation for ethical food politics. One of the eatery’s menu items, the ‘I Am Grateful’ bowl,
has attracted a dedicated patronage at its new North Larchmont Boulevard location in LA. The reason? The “community-supported grain bowl,” a healthy medley of shredded kale, quinoa, black beans and garlic tahini sauce is a pay-what-you-can-afford item that was created to engender good will among customers. Chain co-founder Matthew Engelhart and his son, Ryland (now general manger of LA restaurant), conceived the idea during the height of the recession as a way to retain diners. Based on the chain’s expansion, it seems to have worked.
