In 2005, Lisa Sharpe hit breaking point. Signed off work due to burnout, she walked away from her job for the last time, feeling drained and searching for something more.

As she stepped outside, a bus rolled by, plastered with an ad for a horror movie. She stopped in her tracks, thinking: “How depressing! Wouldn’t it be so much nicer to see something uplifting, something like: ‘I Believe in You’ – to remind people to believe in themselves.”

In that moment, a seed was planted. Lisa made a quiet but powerful vow: "One day, I’ll send out ‘Happy Buses’ all over London - buses that don’t spread darkness, but love, hope, and self-belief."  That vision stayed with her, growing into a mission to uplift and inspire through her art and her actions.

Lisa held onto that dream, quietly nurturing it in her heart, even when the 'how' felt out of reach.

Through the years, she chose trust over doubt, faith over fear, and kept believing in the possibility. And then, nearly 17 years later, in 2022, that dream became a reality for the very first time - a testament to the power of persistence, vision, and unwavering hope.

All photos by Steve Russell Studios

With the support of friends, family, and clients sponsoring their names, and the names of loved ones, within the artwork, Lisa raised the deposit. But when a much anticipated Arts grant didn’t come through, she found herself at a crossroads.

‘I was in a bit of a pickle,’ Lisa admits. ‘I didn’t have the funds, and I couldn’t see the way forward. But then I stopped and asked myself: If I died tomorrow and hadn’t done this, would it matter? The answer was a resounding Yes!'

In that moment, clarity struck. Lisa knew she couldn’t let the dream slip away. With a deep breath, a prayer, and her fingers crossed, she filled out the online bank loan form. ‘I just knew I had to make it happen,’ she says. And that leap of faith became the turning point that brought her vision to life.

Knowing there were still hearts in need of a visual hug, Lisa brought the dream to life once more in 2023.

With the unwavering support of incredible friends, family, clients, and even friends of friends, she rallied a community of love and generosity. This time, the journey was elevated by the support of Global Media and the backing of the inspiring Mo Gawdat - former Chief Business Officer of Google X, 4x bestselling author, host of the #1 mental health podcastSlo Mo, founder of One Billion Happy, and co-founder of Unstressable. Together, they proved that when purpose meets passion, and when extraordinary people come together, magic happens.

In 2023, Mo Gawdat and his OneBillionHappy Foundation very kindly sponsored all the - We Believe In You - sides of the buses

“This is just one way I want to say thank you to the UK for having championed my message of happiness and awareness about the future and Al like nowhere else.

We believe in you. I believe that you can take charge of your own happiness today and smile at another to make them happy too. I believe that when you do, you will pave the way to a future where happiness becomes programmed into our human and artificial intelligence machines for generations to come. All it takes is a smile. Not too much to ask. We believe in you.” Mo Gawdat