Photos: Rainworks archives
Do you hear the drops tapping into the window? Or looking at the grey sky while the sons of rain are making the roads of water on the glass? Is melancholy knocking on the doors and dull thoughts scrolling around the head? “We make ‘Rainworks’ to give people a reason to look forward to rainy days!” said Peregrine Church, creator of original project, which turns sad rainy days into the moments full of vibrant games in the streets. “Rainworks” is all about innovative approach to the stereotypical attitude about the rainy sky and drops on the ground. Come to our game yard – find the rainy days treasure!
Peregrine, if you need to describe yourself in just one sentence, what sentence would it be? How it reflects your personality?
“I am wearing a red shirt.” I’m not sure what it reflects about my personality, but it’s helpful if you’re trying to find me in a room. Also, I like red.
Some people say that their mood changes just because of the weather, while others completely disagree by stating that humans are strong enough to conquer the weather matters, everything depends on the attitude. What‘s your opinion and personal experience related with weather changes and swing of mood? How do you feel about the rain?
It’s a little bit of both. I love sunny days and always have; I can’t not smile when the sun comes out. As for rain, I was ambivalent towards it until we started making Rainworks, and now I get excited for it! We make Rainworks to give people a reason to look forward to rainy days! Regardless of any self-imposed attitudes towards weather, I love the idea of taking something that many people consider depressing, and turning it into something awesome.
“We make ‘Rainworks’ to give people a reason to look forward to rainy days!” – how did you come up with this idea? Do you remember the very first moment when you realize it could be like a medicine against negativity of rain? Was it from the beginning the idea of sharing positive emotions or it developed from some kind of different primary intention?
I realized Rainworks could have that impact on people when I felt it have that impact on myself. People who learn about Rainworks often say “now I can’t wait until it rains!”, which makes me really happy. I got the idea for Rainworks by watching a video about super-hydrophobic coatings, so it originated from the part of me that is fascinated by Materials Science. Then the part of me that loves to make people smile got involved and pointed out how this could make rainy days better for everyone. I love creating novel things that make people happy. When we design a Rainwork, we always ask ourselves “What would make a person smile on a rainy day?” and then we make that. Positivity has always been a driving force behind Rainworks.
How the rain works with Rainworks? Explain the mechanism of project. Where these happiness spots can be found?
The essential ingredient in Rainworks is a super-hydrophobic coating. We spray it through a stencil, and the affected area will stay dry in the rain. All the surrounding concrete gets darker when it gets wet, and the contrast between wet and dry creates the image. Right now, we are working on setting up USA distribution of the hydrophobic coating, and making it available for order. (If you want to be notified when it’s available, you can join our mailing list at http://rain.works/sign-up). We have an official map that shows where all of the Rainworks are. The map can be found at http://rain.works/where. Right now, most of the Rainworks are in the Seattle area, but we want to help the project spread all over the world!
Please finish the thought: we are all creative, but ….
We are all creative, but many people are scared by the idea of failure. I don’t believe in failure. You either make what you wanted, or you have a useful learning experience. Either outcome results in improvement. Don’t be afraid to try things!
