Surprisology

Featured Post: smile-itis

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: make a stranger smile this week. The science: smiles boost our serotonin levels, release stress, and even fake smiles lead us to like what we’re looking at or listening to more than when we’re straight-faced. Smiles are also contagious, like the flu but lovely. When you kick-start [...]
Think Tank

This is the place where you can help people come up with solutions to their problems. Gift ideas needed! Relationship rut! Hard-to-handle boss! Surprise can help. Click the Think Tank category to see what others need help with or submit your own request for ideas to thinktank@surprisology.com.
Missions

Cue mood music please! Whenever you notice a hankering for a bit of extra spark, creativity & mischief take a peek at our Surprise Missions. Reboot your brain, play with a fellow Surprisologist, and make the world a little better. Remember to report back on your adventure. To see all missions click the Surprise [...]
Surprise Training

There are things we never learn in school. Things we sense deep down but have a tough time articulating. Things like the practical applications of surprise, the science of wonder, the skill of delighting others. Some people figure it out through trial and error, some have a natural knack for it. These are the people [...]

Operation Donut Dad

My coworker Dan is an avid donut enthusiast, and has helped to create a strong donut culture in our office. Against our better judgement, we tend to have donuts in the office at least once a week. Most of us have become donut aficionados, turning up our noses at run-of-the-mill brands like Dunkin’ Donuts, and [...]

Holes, and how to deal with boring friends

If I had to think of a symbol or image to best represent surprise (besides an interrobang”!?“), it would be a hole in the wall. Such mystery, such danger, such potential scandal… and the perfect addition to any party. This weekend I crafted a giant surprise wall for a ‘classy carnival’-themed party. Stick your [...]

Wardrobe wonders

Here’s a fun photo from Jessi Arrington of the outfits she’s picked out for the upcoming TEDActive conference. First of all, thank you, Jessi for reminding me that I should be adding elements of surprise to my attire. And second of all, what a great statement this is about TEDActive; you know your conference will [...]

Surprising V-Day breakfast by Flickr user Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton

St. Valentine Surprises

Happy Valentine’s Day! I do love this holiday, but it has become a bit predictable and commercialized, don’t you think? Here are a few last-minute, low-budget ideas for making your V-Day special using the element of surprise: Upgrade a heart-shaped box of chocolates by writing special memories on small pieces of paper and slipping them [...]

Valentine’s Day surprise gift idea

Here’s a great Valentine’s Day surprise idea from Kate at Mini eco. What you’ll need: 1. White paper 2. Lemon 3. Someone lovely who’ll light up at this surprise (even a stranger will do) What to do: 1. Write a message in LEMON JUICE on a white sheet of paper (a cotton swab is a [...]

Surprise Advent(ure) Calendars are not just for Christmas

Sometimes planning surprises can get off track. Such is the case with the surprise “advent-ture” calendar I created as a Christmas gift this year. The concept was simple: a Christmas Advent calendar with little surprises and clues leading to big surprises… instead of chocolates behind the doors. After designing the cover in Photoshop (clearly based [...]

Pitbulls and pattern interrupts

I could not ask for a cooler, more playful, and more loving dog than Scarlet. But, like the best of us, she isn’t altogether free of bad habits. For about a year now, I’ve been fighting with her when we get to a specific part of our walk: the park exit. At the park exit, [...]

Disney Surprises

If you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up, I highly recommend searching YouTube for “Disneyland Surprise.” You’ll find a slew of amazing kid reactions to hearing the greatest news of their lives. It’s hard to pick favorites, but here are a few that stand out: Lily’s Disneyland Surprise is basically the gold standard in Disney reaction videos. [...]