I recently got my nerve up to Handmeonify two of my favorite pieces of art (this and that). I’m fond of these, so it was tough to open the door of the cage so to speak.

But maybe giving needs to hurt a little bit to be real. If it hurts you know you’ve parted with a piece of yourself. You’ve taken a leap of faith. It’s the faith that you’ll be okay. My favorite children’s book The Quiltmaker’s Gift takes this notion to the extreme.

I’m not suggesting that we part with everything like the king in the book. But what would it be like if a few thousand people put a couple of their favorite pieces of art on Handmeon? Not the art you want to get rid of (there are plenty of places for that), but stuff you really care about. Art to be shared among appreciative people, then moved along, like so many one-piece museums on wheels. Roving ambassadors of expression, history, and goodwill. The collective treasures of our culture, all shared for free.

Each of us stands to lose a little and gain a lot.