The Free Pass Project – A Social Practice of Spontaneous Compassion and Conversation

Creatively enacting spontaneous compassion and conversation.

(PLEASE NOTE: this website is now an archive of a ten year public art project that engaged and made the day better for over 4,000 people. My full art and project site is www.rachelcyreneblackman.com.)"FREE PASS": two words that can communicate simple compassion. Who needs the grace of a free pass now and again? Almost everyone. Think about your day, and even the last few hours. Has there been a moment where you've given yourself a hard time or been in a frustration? Have you interacted with a loved one or stranger who is stressed, is doing the best they can, feels disengaged from … Read More...

Read Our Stories...

Kindness of Strangers

Last year, I found myself in tears on a grassy hill on the Carnegie Mellon campus, attempting to make it through the final morning of the Open Engagement conference. I believe it was you, Rachel, who approached me. You provided me with every sort of support and reflection I needed in that moment, as I […]

Random find #958 in Oregon!

How and where did your free pass token land in your hands?  Found it just last night, in a pile of free stuff left by the sidewalk near the New Seasons-7 Corners grocery store in Portland, Oregon. Probably left behind by someone moving out. What is the story of your free pass? how was it […]

Banking free pass…

“I gave one to a lady at the bank, but I gave it to her to use in case she had another customer like me….I had opened an account online, so there was no photo ID for me or signature on my account, so when I tried to withdraw money they asked for my driver’s […]

My photo project…

I’m really loving the project. I’m looking for photo ops of things that can be interpreted as needing a free pass, so maybe folks will see the photos and go” I needed a free pass for that today as well. Today was “you know what, it’s okay not to make your bed every morning.” But […]