Why 10,000 Hands?
​​I want to bring people together and celebrate our differences through a collection of hand drawings by all people, all ages, all races.
​
Some think that people with different beliefs should be separate. But separate is never equal. Being separate never improves anything. It doesn't help. If anything, it makes it worse. Because if people can't work together, it makes it harder to solve problems.

If you would like people to come together, you should do something to help the world, or at least be a part of something. You can become a part of 10,000 hands, and we believe your voice is important, just like everyone else's. 

By submitting a hand, you help us show that everyone's voice matters. Every hand collected represents a unique view on the world, a unique voice, a different perspective. I hope that by pursuing this project, I can collect both hands and voices, voices and views that can solve problems. By coming together and solving difficult problems, I think that we can change the world.

For more on why I created this project, check out this short video.

How Do I Submit A Hand?
Directions:
Make Your Hand

1. Trace or draw your hand.

​2. Think of a quality of the heart that is important to you. Qualities of the heart are words like love, hope, equity, empathy, compassion, etc.

3. Decorate your hand to represent that quality. For example, if your quality was growth, you might draw a flower or a vine on it. ​You can draw your hand, collage it, paint it, etc. 
 
4. Then, write your quality of the heart over the hand, and add your finishing touches.

Remember, everyone can make a hand, and there is no deadline. If you need any inspiration on what your hand should look like, you can look at the slideshow above.


​NEXT STEP!
​
​Scan your hand or take a picture of it and send it to 
​our email account ([email protected])

You can also post your hand on instagram, but be sure to tag @10khands

PLEASE NOTE: By submitting your hand, you give permission to the 10,000 Hands team to promote and re-use your artwork.


How It All Started
One day my teacher asked my class at Opal School to think about how we could make the world a better place. Everyone thought of something different. I thought of 10,000 hands. The idea was planted inside me and grew, bigger and bigger. First images of hands, then a display of them. And then 10,000 of them. I shared my ideas with my teacher and parents, and they helped me progress them. And here I am now.
About My School
The mission of Opal School is to strengthen education by provoking fresh ideas concerning environments where creativity, curiosity and the wonder of learning thrive. 

​What you can do to help


​Keep Track Of My Progress

  • Follow me on instagram: @10khands. I post lots of cool pictures - hands I have collected (maybe even yours), places I go, and things that I do. Check out some of my pictures by scrolling down.
  • ​Email me: [email protected]. If you have any questions or comments, ideas on what I should do with all of my hands, or if you want to send me a really cool hand that you'd like me to post on my insta, you can contact me here.
  • You can also check out my Hand Tracker, which shows how many hands I have collected. It is not updated that often, so sometimes I may have more hands than the tracker shows. 

Special Thanks!



It wasn’t just me that created this project. I have to thank Opal School and the Portland Children’s Museum for supporting me,
Pecan Media Services for helping get the website started, ​my parents, and (of course) my little sister.

Thank you, also to: Susan Smallsreed, Kari Lorz, and Carolyn "CC" Ciolkosz!

Shout outs to the following organizations that have supported 10,000 Hands!  I couldn't do this without you!
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CENTRL Office, CryoPDX, Gann Brothers Printing, Inn at Northrup Station, J. Pepin Art Gallery, SITTE Modern, Storables,
​The Mark Spencer Hotel, TOMS Shoes, Umpqua Bank, Wacom Experience Center, and World Foods.