Don't be surprised if, while walking around London, in the city or on the hills, you find coloured stones with different patterns.
They are “courtesy stones” or also called “kindness rocks” and they are generally painted with bright colors, sometimes enriched with motivational messages and famous quotes, sometimes dedicated to special events and then left on the territory, free to those who find them, mostly with the intent to provoke a smile.
A delicate thought and with the sole purpose of giving happiness, finders keepers we say in English.
The activity consists of releasing your own colored stones but also finding those of others, taking them home or placing them in other places for other passersby to find and it is a nice idea to report everything on social media.
Some people even collected them!
There are some dedicated sites on social media to report such findings, groups and even ideas on how to decorate your own creations.
Some local and international artists alike are using such rocks to advertise their work and promote their art by including the website address or social media page on the back of the painted stones they release.


Creations by my friend Claire D.
There are some rules though and, among the prohibitions ordered by the city council are those not to use glue or toxic materials (in case children find them or not to affect animals and the environment) and not to leave your stone in potentially dangerous places where it may fall and injure someone or cause damage to property.
It is also highly discourage to use glitter paint or some toxic paint and to use small pebbles which may be mistaken for insects by birds and swallowed.
The idea is as simple as it is revolutionary in its message: it involves painting stones and abandoning them in the (not too hidden) corners of your city so that they can be found by someone and then maybe posted on social media to thank the creator.
You simply need to look for stones of any shape (on the street or in the countryside) buy acrylic paints, brushes and acrylic spray (to protect the colored stones from the rain) and unleash your creativity.
Some people also use permanent markers and other types of lacquering.
It’s becoming a trend and a growing phenomenon here in London so it is not uncommon to find one sitting around on some bench or near a monument (as it happened to me).
So far I have found three and I must admit it is a nice feeling, like a sort of unexpected gift from a stranger which indeed brings a smile to your face even ‘on a rainy day’.
Children love this initiative and some campaigns have been carried out following this trend, perhaps to promote awareness on this or that issue or to simply donate smiles through hard times (like during Covid times for instance when the trend started picking up and stones showed up on benches, front doors, window sills etc.).
You do not need to be an artist to participate and if you are not good at drawing or painting, you can perhaps just create a rock with a quote you like and leave it for someone to find.


A rock I have found Unfortunately, as with all good things which become viral, some people are using the so called ‘courtesy rocks’ to create advertising material or to do religious preaching but the worst case I have seen is to spread political propaganda or even racial hatred.
For now though these bad uses are limited and most courtesy rocks carry a positive message and brighten up the days of those who find them.