Serenity Rocks is a project initiated by the Outreach Subcommittee of the Global Online Region of Nar-Anon Family Groups. It is hoped that several groups will help participate in it by creating and placing rocks in public places. This is a way to get out the word about Nar-Anon in general, and the participating groups of the Global Online Region.
The rocks will show some inspirational artwork and/or an affirmation or slogan that may attract attention. On the bottom side, there would be a QR Code that people can scan. That leads them to the Serenity Rock web page, where they can find out about the Serenity Rock project, post the location where they found the rock, and go to other pages to find about Nar-Anon and the groups.
This page gives instructions on how to participate.
- Obtain some rocks.
The rocks should have two flat sides. They need to be at least 3 or 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) across the flat sides. Otherwise, the QR Codes and artwork could wrinkle when applied to the rock. Much larger rocks are also not suggested.
You might be able to collect appropriate rocks in outdoor locations. There might be such rocks in a gardening supply store, or they can be purchased online. However, because of weight, shipping fees can be substantial. - Obtain materials to prepare the rocks
If you want to paint the rocks, obtain appropriate paint and brushes. After it dries, a protective coating may be applied (below).
You will need a computer with a printer to print QR Codes. A color printer is best.
Adhesive material to securely apply the printed material to the rocks. The same material might also be used as a weather-protective coating. We have used Mod Podge. One that seems good for outdoors is on Amazon. The instructions suggest it can be heated in an oven to speed up the curing rate. - Print sheets of QR Codes
Use this web page to create the sheets or QR Codes:
https://gornfg.org/serenity-rock-qrcodes.htm
That page asks for your group-id. This is the group-id assigned by the Nar-Anon World Service Office, not the Zoom meeting-id. You can find it on the GOR website meeting list or the World Service website find-a-meeting page. By using the group-id, we can track where each group’s rocks have been found.
When printing the sheet, make sure it fills one page. The resolution should be 100 pixels per inch, or about 40 per centimeter. Also disable headers and footers that the browser usually includes. It is preferable to use a color printer, but it is acceptable print on black and white.
Cut up the sheet to separate all the QR Codes. There should be a faint division between each cell. They are supposed to be about 1.25 inches across. - Create artwork and/or phrases to use
We want the rocks to be attractive and inspirational. Something positive. Something colorful. This might be prepared on a computer and printed, or painted directly on the rock.
Some suggestions (but you can think of more):- “You don’t need to be alone”
- “You are loved”
- “You matter”
- “You have a purpose”
- “Don’t worry”
- “Have a wonderful rest of the day”
- “S**t happens. So do miracles”
- “Accept the things you cannot change”
- “Smile and make someone’s day better”
- Apply the artwork and a QR Code to each rock
- Coat the rock with a weather protective coating
- Put the rocks in various public locations
- A place where people are likely to see it
- Don’t obstruct sidewalks, streets, or doorways
- Avoid places where it’s likely to be swept into the trash
- Near recovery/rehab/medical agencies is an idea