The Writing on the Wall

I love words. I like reading them, writing them, and mostly, speaking them. They’re a powerful tool when used correctly, and hopefully this latest project qualifies as such a use.

Many weeks ago at the gym where I work, we decided to add some inspirational vocabulary words to a blank concrete block wall in the gym. Rose, the fitness director, started a list, and Jess and I added to it, coming up with several dozen words that we thought would inspire our gym members to work hard and stay committed to their fitness goals.

This is not the first time I’ve put words on a wall in a public venue, but this time it was much easier. Instead of printing out the font, tracing it onto the wall, then handpainting, I used my Cricut and cut the words from vinyl. The vinyl adheres to the wall in a simple process, and will peel off without harming the paint when we’re done with it.

We started with wide expanses of purple(!) cement block walls. In this first photo, I have one word put up as a trial. I wasn’t sure how well the vinyl would adhere, but the paint has a flat finish, so it worked pretty well.

We did this wall first, putting up just a couple of words a day.

Then we moved to the other side of the men’s locker room door.

Then we went on to the other side of the wall, around the corner and down the hall.

You can see that I used several different fonts and letter sizes. Design Studio for Cricut was invaluable for designing words that fit the size of each brick.

Feedback from gym members has been wonderfully positive. When someone drags in early in the morning (I get up at 4 AM, so do not cry to me about getting up early!) I direct their attention to the wall o’ words and tell them to be inspired!