Since January, IU has been flooded with some positive words. On campus walls, street lights, and even bathroom doors, some positive energy is gushing from the small letters.

“You are worthy of love, peace, and joy in your life. Love Lani.”

Behind these notes is a young woman doing something small to spread love and energy.

Noelani Edwards(Lani), an IU senior with psychology major, started preparing the notes a year ago.

“I started the project because I think a lot of people struggle sadness in silence and I wanted to be the light that helped them get out of it, whether it’s advice or encouragement to keep going,“ Lani said.

The notes range in content from short to long, each of them different, but all of them written by Noelani Edwards herself.

Lani puts the prepared notes in a bag, takes tape and heads out with her notes of joy.

She carefully analyzes where each note is placed and how far apart it should be to ensure that it can be seen by as many people as possible. She’s expanding her project from campus to Bloomington as a whole, and she’s also promoting her project on Instagram.

Lani always takes a picture after sticking up each note, and she posts it on her project’s Instagram @love.lani.project, which has 295 followers now.

She once described her purpose on Instagram: “My goal here is to share as much love and positivity with you guys as I can!”

As a survivor of sexual assault, Lani had experienced darkness and pain before, so she started posting  sticky notes with works of encouragement for herself at home and says it worked for her. It made her think that maybe she could help more people.

Explaining why she started the project, Lani says: “So I was thinking like, this is nice and I think other people like me like encouragement too, so I’m like start to post those up as well.”

Her efforts were not in vain. Many IU students saw the notes and the messages brought them encouragement.

“It just like totally made my day, and so I was so excited to see it again,” IU senior Maycie Gibson said. “I just think it’s great that someone working so hard to spread positive across campus, it’s definitely impacted me a lot, and I’m sure it impacts a lot of other people.”

In addition to the campus response, many students and parents have expressed support for Lani on her project’s Instagram.

“I want to thank you for sharing your message of hope, love, and happiness. Keep spreading your message. you are lovely, brave and I hear you,” one IU parent commented under her project’s Instagram post.

“I think human connection is such a beautiful thing and I’m glad I’m able to make those connections and make you all smile with my little notes,” Lani said.

So if you find one of these notes on campus, you can either take it to encourage yourself, or you can also leave the notes to make more people smile.