Dear Diary: She wanted to say thanks, and ended up getting the attention of a Hollywood star

CBC Calgary wants to know how you are living these days. What are you doing differently? What makes you laugh? Cry? Scream? Have you started a new hobby? Let us know.

In this instalment of our series, Dear Diary: In a Time of COVID-19, we hear from Cyrstal Hancock. She's a real estate agent in Brooks, Alta. This submission has been edited for clarity and length.

I created a chalk drawing in my driveway as a thank you … and this is what happened.

There are many people right now who are thankful. Thankful for front-line workers, essential workers, and even the people who are staying home to keep others safe. I have seen messages in windows and signs when out for a drive. Our little town of Brooks, Alta., has been particularly hard hit, and it's scary.

My boyfriend's daughter and I decided we would do something too, to keep our spirits up, and show our appreciation. I am an artist and I had done a few sidewalk chalk pieces in the past, so I had the supplies on hand. We mapped out our images and words and got to work. 

The weather was nice, we had fun, and after two days, we sprayed a clear coat on top to preserve it and then our tribute was done! My boyfriend has a drone and captured some cool shots with it, we posted it online, and it kind of took off.

My boyfriend's daughter attends school in Calgary and she sent it to her teacher, who sent it to the school, who sent it to the district, who sent it to the Alberta Teachers' Association, eventually making its way to Ryan Reynolds.

The attention has been surprising, and it got me thinking. There are lots of messages out there, but because everyone is staying home, they don't get to see them. What if we were to create a space where people can see them all in one place? The idea was so exciting to me I launched a website and started an Instagram page.

I am now trying to spread the word. Asking people to take pictures of their messages and submit them to the site and I will post them.

The news can be scary right now, so I wanted to create a safe place where people can visit and get their fill of positivity and joy, no opinions, no negativity ... just love.

I hope it takes off!

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