‘We all have massive hearts – this reminds us to use them. There is love around every corner.’

They’re small statues, figurines that come in friendship. Their mission is to help spread kindness and encourage compassion. They’re starting to pop up all over the place. There are some obvious similarities but they’re not OMs.

They’re called Lovebots and their number totals more than 100. The artist and designer responsible is called Matthew Del Degan. Lovebots have, in recent times, begun to appear in various locations across Toronto. Their purpose, one that sounds rather familiar to the team here at OM®, has struck quite a chord in our studio. Lovebots and OMs share a great deal in their outlook. We’ve never met Matthew, but the kinship cannot be questioned.

You see, like our OMs, which are tokens of love that serve to remind us that we are all connected, Lovebots are rooted in humanity, community, kindness and understanding. Each one bears a unique code that tells a tale, like #75, which introduces Blaede, a 10-year-old who gives his toys to those more in need than himself; or #65, which salutes Adam Connor, whose selflessness made a huge difference to a disabled man encountering significant difficulties in his life. ‘He’s a man with dignity; he doesn’t need charity, he just needs a friend,’ explains Adam. Here in Saunderstown, Rhode Island, such things speak to us loud and clear.

So much so that we’d like to highlight Matthew’s philosophy, in some detail, for the things that drive him can help us all to live more fulfilling lives. We’d like to quote, at some length, from the Lovebot website. We hope you find the following as inspirational as we do . . .

‘Lovebot is at the forefront of the movement called the Love Invasion, which aims to evoke a sense of wonder in the hearts and lives of people around the world. [We want people to] reflect on their surroundings and become thankful for the small good deeds that constantly go unnoticed. Lovebot’s mission is to raise awareness of and reinforce the idea that we are all part of a community and, in turn, spread love and compassion to our neighbors, friends, family, co-workers and fellow citizens . . .

‘Lovebot reiterates the fact that we have the privilege of being human, where we are not restricted to programming. Many of us work like robots in this technologically-driven concrete jungle. However, humans are not robots and they have the capacity to share love and kindness with one another. By placing something meaningful in people’s paths, Lovebot creates a novel, uplifting experience for Torontonians. Lovebot wants to disrupt people’s daily routines and remind them that there is magic in this city and love around every corner, aiming to illuminate the love that exists within Toronto and inspire more’.

There’s not a lot for us to add to this but, from one studio to another, we’d like to commend Matthew. For his work as an artist. For his drive and his determination to make our planet a better place for us all. Together, we can do this, whether the inspiration is a Lovebot, an OM or something else altogether.

Being human is a privilege and, as such, we all share certain responsibilities. Let’s be thankful, let’s spread love and let’s evoke that sense of wonder . . .

We are all connected.