International Tell Your Crush Day is HERE!

CrowdInk sat down (virtually) with Sophie, the mind behind International Tell Your Crush Day, a holiday dedicated to spreading the love, to find out what it’s all about and how to participate.

CrowdInk: What is the Society for the Advancement of the Crush Agenda?

Society for the Advancement of the Crush Agenda: The Society for the Advancement of the Crush Agenda is a) a very serious and bureaucratic organization. We have meetings and follow Robert’s Rules of Order and we are incorporated at the city and state level. We have offices and paid staff and a color copier and a water cooler.  b) just some friends who want to make the world a better place. And a loose collection of supporters who are very excited to help spread the word about ITYCD every year.

We’ll let you decide which one is true. 🙂

We believe that the world is a better place when people tell each other how much they appreciate each other. Crushes are only a starting place. If you can tell your crushes you think they’re awesome, you can certainly also thank your mail carrier, call your Grandma, and tell your third grade teacher what a difference they made in your life. We want more of all of this, all the time.

CI: How long have you been running and what have you learned since year 1?

SftAotCA: The first year of International Tell Your Crush Day was in 2006. This is the 10th year we’re celebrating! One thing we’ve learned as a group is that it’s more fun when you get a LOT of people on board! We also learned that confidence is everything. When you invent an international holiday, you just have to act like it’s a big deal, and always has been, and go from there.

After 10 year of crush telling, I have become a lot braver about a lot of things- especially telling people how I’m thinking and feeling. They can’t read your mind, so it’s always helpful to explain, honestly, where you’re coming from!

CI: What is the number one piece of advice you can give to participants?

SftAotCA: Whether you’re telling or being told, we think it’s best to be honest and specific, with yourself and with others, about what you’re thinking and what you want. “Hey I have a crush on you” is a good start, but it can be confusing and mean a whole lot of things. Try “Hey, I have the kind of crush on you where I think you’re cute and you tell the best jokes, and I want you to come to my weekly Sunday brunch sometime if you want!”

Or answering with “Wow, thanks! I don’t have a crush on you back, but I’d love to come to your brunch sometime. Thanks for telling me!”

Be polite. Be kind. Be respectful. And also, you have permission to draw clear boundaries and take care of yourself. You do not have to be kind to people who are rude or overstep your boundaries.

CI: Do you have a favorite anecdote?

SftAotCA: This isn’t that great, but one year I told a cute cashier at our local food co-op that it was International Tell Your Crush Day, and that I had a small crush on him. For some reason I’ll always remember his exact words: “Aren’t you dating homeboy with the beard?” Well yes, I was. But just because homeboy with the beard and I were in a committed relationship didn’t mean that we couldn’t tell other people we thought they were cute!

CI: What would you like this day to become next year? Five years from now?

SftAotCA: I would love for it to be a household name. For everyone to know and celebrate, but for it to never be corporately co-opted and used to sell products. This is the people’s holiday. A day for handmade gifts, hand-written notes, and surprises that only you can come up with!

Check out the video here:

And be sure to like them on facebook, join the facebook event, and check out their website!