Subway Therapy

In the aftermath of a tense election season, New Yorkers are expressing their emotions through “Subway Therapy,” an interactive art project that has transformed a bustling subway tunnel into a community message board. The project, envisioned by New York artist Matthew Chavez, invites anyone passing through a passageway between two subway lines to write down their thoughts on sticky notes and post them on the tiled wall. The resulting art is a colorful tapestry of messages, ranging from frustration and sorrow to hope and humor -- each note a small, personal reflection of a larger collective mood.

Chavez originally launched “Subway Therapy” after the 2016 presidential election when he saw a need for people to voice their feelings in a space that was open and accessible to all. Standing by the wall as people paused to read or add their own notes, Chavez saw how much impact a simple project can have: “People will walk up and spend one minute and come up to me and say, ‘Wow, this is amazing. This made my day. This made my week. I really needed this,’” Chavez said. He said he has been amazed by how such a modest setup can become deeply meaningful, offering a space for emotional relief in a time of heightened anxiety.

While the project was not created to respond to politics, Chavez acknowledged that the election context has shaped what people have written about. Many of the notes reflect themes of resilience, unity, and a desire for healing, for example. People have posted messages like “WORLD PEACE NOW” and “What will our next revolution look like?” Other notes include a plea for a Knicks victory and gratitude for an opportunity to pause and write on a sticky note.

For participants, the act of writing and posting a note is a form of therapy, a brief yet impactful way to release what weighs on their hearts. Danielle Guy, one of many New Yorkers who added her voice to the wall, wrote about choosing kindness even when it felt challenging: “I put that I choose kindness even when it’s hard because I’ve had a hard time wanting to lash out whenever I’ve been treated not so awesome by some people recently,” she said. Writing it out and posting it in a public space became her small yet powerful commitment to respond with compassion.

Another contributor, Mallie Lyons, said she believes that the project’s location is part of its appeal. “Somewhere where people can walk by and physically see what other people are feeling and what other people are thinking I think is such a beautiful thing,” she said. Subway Therapy has an immediacy to it: no barriers -- just a wall of colorful sticky notes capturing a moment in time that thousands of commuters can relate to as they passed by.

Though the Subway Therapy project ended this past weekend, Chavez is already searching for new locations to continue Subway Therapy in the future. His goal is to provide these impromptu spaces for people to unburden themselves as they go about their daily routines: “People have so much to say,” he explained. “And I love being in places where people are moving from one place to another. They just stop, get something off their chest, and then they’re on their way.”

Do you hear echoes of Jesus' words in Matthew 11? Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Subway Therapy has offered New Yorkers a rare opportunity to pause, express themselves, and feel part of a shared experience amidst the constant hustle of the city. How might you offer others a safe space to pause -- particularly as we enter the hurry of the holiday season?