Many of the “I went to MoMA and…” responses are attempts to fit very big thoughts and feelings onto 3×6-inch cards. Here on a midtown block in an often cynical city, deeply felt sentiments and words like floating, dreaming, beauty, connection, and soul seem to be on people’s minds.

In our busy, overcrowded lives, a museum visit can be a break that gives us time to think. The mental space allows big thoughts to surface… those ideas we don’t usually have time to dwell on, at work or on the subway. Standing in front of a marvelous painting or sculpture, it can be a short step from “What does it mean?” to “What does it all mean?” We’ve probably all experienced how seeing art with a friend can instigate deep thoughts and deep talks—and how seeing art alone invites self-reflection. In quiet corners, some of us are furtively jotting down a few lines of half-formed poetry, trying to express the intensity of our feelings in words.

We hope you enjoy reading these ruminations, reflections, and observations from our visitors as much as we did! And many thanks to those who thought deeply about what they saw, and then shared their ideas with us through this project.

We keep posting more cards on MoMA.org/iwent, where you can see and share many more—maybe yours? (Read our first post for an introduction to this project.)