Roswell Balloon Artist Hopes To Spread Joy With Message

ROSWELL, GA — If you need a moment of happiness to brighten your day, take a drive past the Universalist Metro Atlanta North in Roswell. There, you'll find a balloon message spelling out, "be safe, be kind," all thanks to local balloon artist Paul Teal with Party 'til you Pop.

Teal is one of more than 200 balloon artists around the world who are going to participate in “One Million Bubbles of Joy” on Thursday.

He heard about it through the balloon art community, which he says is a tight-knit group of small business owners who communicate a lot via Facebook and other platforms.

"The intent is for the professional balloon industry to share their talents and skills that day to help bring happiness to as many lives as they can and remind the world that there is hope and kindness still out there as they face the new realities of COVID-19," Teal wrote on his Facebook page.

"Nothing brings smiles to people’s faces like balloons do, and the professional balloon decorating and entertainment industry wants to help people find their smiles and joy during this challenging and frightening time we have entered."

Teal is creating a balloon sculpture with over 750 balloons in it with the theme "be safe, be kind." It will be on display outdoors at Unitarian Universalist Metro Atlanta North at 11420 Crabapple Rd, Roswell, GA 30075.

"Roswell has given so much to me, I wanted to do some kind of gesture to show some gratitude back," Teal said. "Like many businesses in the events industry, most of my booked future jobs are canceled indefinitely. That was a lot of deposits to return! I am focusing on organization, training, and learning skills that will further my business when things turn around. For example, I am using this time to learn to weld; which I was always too busy to do. Being able to weld will help me make frames to display the balloons."

Teal asks that people drive by to admire the balloons, but do not get out of their cars.

"It is our hope that when this is all over, over one million balloons will be used to create 10 times as smiles during this scary time for so many around the world," Teal said.

Two other Atlanta area balloon sculptures will be featured Thursday in Brookhaven and Atlanta. To find out more, visit One Million Bubbles of Joy.