How Canton woman and her 3 young friends became ‘rock’ stars

It’s amazing how an ordinary rock, a little acrylic paint and some warm-hearted intention can lift a person’s mood.

This is the story of some real-life rock stars — people who spread joy with a relaxing hobby, not jamming musical tunes.

It all started when Canton resident Lori Morrison attended a recreational rock-painting session at the campground she visits on summer weekends.

“First of all, I’m not good at painting anything,” Morrison quipped, smiling. “I’m definitely no Picasso.”

Young rock stars

Morrison was joined at her table by three young brothers: 6-year-old James, 7-year-old Luke and 9-year-old Jack.

“I asked the youngest one, James, if he was any good at painting and he said, ‘Nope!’,” Morrison recounted. “I thought, ‘These are my people!’ There are some people at the campground who are really good painters. I’m still working on dots and little flowers.”

A cancer survivor, Morrison found the more she painted the rocks, the better she became at dealing with the everyday issues we all deal with on a routine basis.

“It really helped reduce my anxiety and panic attacks,” she said. “Plus it’s something fun to do during the winter months when we’re cooped up inside.”

When the campground closed at the end of summer, Morrison was so hooked on painting rocks, she purchased small landscaping rocks and some acrylic paint and brought her new-found hobby home for the colder months.

From hobby to purpose

She also created a greater purpose for her hobby.

“I’ll take a few of my painted rocks that say ‘Have a good day’ or ones with a smiley face on them when I go out, like to the grocery store or different places,” she shared. “When I see someone who appears to be having a bad day, I’ll hand them a smiley-face rock and say, ‘Have a nice day!’, and it immediately changes their mood. You can see it in their face.

“When I do this, it’s uplifting for me, too.”

Morrison has dropped off painted rocks at the cancer center where she was treated so the staff can distribute them to patients.

Spreading joy

She has also delivered painted rocks to assisted-living facilities like Bickford in Canton.

“The happiness coordinator at Bickford, Jim, said the residents love them, which makes me happy,” Morrison said.

Morrison shared the story of the police officer who lived in Canton who would order flowers for his wife every year on their anniversary (she works for a florist) that she would deliver.

“One day I heard that a police officer was shot and killed in Detroit,” she said. “It turned out it was the same man who ordered the flowers for he and his wife’s anniversary every year.”

On the first anniversary of his death, Morrison delivered a painted rock (blue and black with a heart in the middle) to his widow, who was beyond grateful for her gesture.

Low-cost, high-reward hobby

Morrison said rock painting is an inexpensive hobby that brings priceless joy to those she has touched since she was introduced to her artistic hobby.

“I’ve gotten better over time,” she admitted. “I recently painted a dragonfly on a rock. I thought it needed work, but I asked James what he thought of it.

“He said, ‘You’re getting a little better’.”

Even Picasso had to start somewhere, right?

Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.