A Contagious Smile

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I first noticed his broad welcoming smile.

Often Ted was in the A2 courtyard, engaged in stimulating counter-cultural conversations, and often he invited me in. I remain inspired by Ted’s tenacity for what is important, and how he held his artistic intent alongside laughter, warmth, and smiles.

Ted showed me that joy is important for change; it seemed to reduce the polemic threat of the ideas Ted brought. I also saw that the joy with which Ted delivered his message was the message. And I can feel in my body the beauty of what he brought to the moment: the simple joy of safety, connection, creativity, and laughter.

I want to honor Ted with my smile, inspired by his.
Why were his joy and warmth so striking to me? I am realizing, as another large white man, that while smiling is ostensibly free, it is not always easy. The only cost is to dare to shrug off what I think the world might owe me. Yet it is one of the warmest gifts we can give ourselves and others.
Physiologically, there is a beautiful thing about smiling - it has a chicken-and-egg quality. The muscles used to smile also incline our mind-body toward feeling joy.

This T-Shirt is a reminder especially for the male-identified wearer that we can each rise up to meet our own needs from the inside, not from others (especially women). It reads in the mirror and reminds one to smile in the here and now.

When I wear this shirt, I plan to practice a two-breath meditation that comes from the activist Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh:

Breathing in, I calm body and mind.
Breathing out, I smile.
Breathing in, I dwell in the present moment
Breathing out, I know this is a wonderful moment.

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Kristian Simsarian is the founding chair of the BFA and Masters in Interaction Design at BFA. He and Ted had several conversations about the monetization of social connections and hatched plans to intervene. Ted and his work greatly inspired the theory of change behind the Master’s theory of change: to give students valuable craft skills to have a seat at the table, the leadership skills to have a voice and the community practice skills to have a heart.

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Direct to garment printed on 100% combed and ring-spun cotton