Thursday, March 30, 2006

Humbled and Honored

Three of my requests today are for special reasons: someone moving into a new home; someone having difficulties while starting a new business; and someone who is ill. I can't even put into words how honored I feel to bring a blessing into the lives of these people. It hadn't occurred to me that people would share little pieces of their stories with me and give me the opportunity to gift someone who could really use a gift of kindness in their lives. This weekend will be a very special weekend for me. I can't imagine a more meaningful purpose to my creativity.

Wow

Check out this amazing non-profit and the beautiful stories of the children and families it serves: Soulumination. This is a real inspiration for finding my creative niche in the non-profit world. I figure the most likely way to have the abundance to give my services away is to find the audience that others will pay for me to serve through contributions.

Messages

I happened across these beautiful messages today...

The subtle secret,
To possessing all you want:
Blessing all you have.

~ The Universe (tut.com)

*

Strange is our situation here on earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to divine purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: That we are here for the sake of humanity . . . For the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day I realize how my own outer and inner life is built upon the labors of my fellow human beings, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received and am still receiving. ~ Albert Einstein

*

"The root of a bulb which shall produce a white lily is an unsightly thing; one might look upon it with disgust. But how foolish we should be to condemn the bulb for its appearance when we know the lily is within it. The root is perfect after its kind; it is a perfect but incomplete lily, and so we must learn to look upon every man and woman, no matter how unlovely in outward manifestation; they are perfect in their stage of being and they are becoming complete. Behold, it is all very good….It will make an immense difference with your faith and spirit whether you look upon civilization as a good thing which is becoming better or as a bad and evil thing which is decaying. One viewpoint gives you an advancing and expanding mind and the other gives you a descending and decreasing mind. One viewpoint will make you grow greater and the other will inevitably cause you to grow smaller. One will enable you to work for the eternal things; to do large works in a great way toward the completing of all that is incomplete and inharmonious; and the other will make you a mere patchwork reformer working without hope to save a few lost souls from what you will grow to consider a lost and doomed world. So you see it makes a difference to you, this matter of social viewpoint. “Alls right with the world. Nothing can possibly be wrong but my personal attitude, and I will see the facts of nature and all events, circumstances and conditions of society, politics, government, and industry from the highest viewpoint; it is all perfect, though incomplete. It is all the handiwork of God; behold, it is all very good." ~ James Allen

I am one of those people who often says, "It's all good." I've never really considered how much those words may be contributing to my experience of the benevolent Universe conspiring to shower us all with blessings.

Surprises!

Unbelievable! Today I received five requests for blessings. Wow! I am so humbled, amazed, proud (in a good way), and excited. What wonderful validation that I am serving a purpose with this project. I guess I'm getting good exposure for the site out there in cyberland, too, and I haven't really been trying other than talking about it in another blog related to my evolutionary journey.

I am so happy, I can't contain it in words!

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

This week so far...

I haven't delivered any local cards since I've run out again and need to create a new batch. What a wonderful obstacle to have to overcome!

However, I have sent out the three gratitude blessing packages I spoke of the other day-- "on behalf of everyone whose lives they have touched" --to people who inspire me and others through their own bliss work. I promised to reveal who they are so... Rob Brezny, author of Pronioa; Marney Makridakis, founder of Artella; and Brian Johnson, the founder of Zaadz.

I also sent the blessing package to the UK and was asked this morning to create and send a digital friendship blessing on behalf of one friend to another, which I just finished a few minutes ago. I'm loving this!

I started day dreaming recently about what a dilemma it would be if I started receiving too many requests for blessings to fill on my own. Wouldn't that be awesome? I'd have a reason to create every single day. I'd have to try to recruit fellow conspirators...which I imagine are out there when I think about how many people are gifting art on a regular basis through various mail-art groups and projects similar to mine.

About the art process...the clay tokens are now a part of all non-digital packages. I hope to get a picture up soon. I also learned how to make paper over the weekend, so many of the future envelopes for blessing cards will be completely handmade. Today I plan to make some multi-media paper art frames for quotes and poems. I am so inspired!

Wisdom On Giving

"It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving." -- Mother Teresa

Saturday, March 25, 2006

A New Invitation

Know someone who needs a blessing? Send me an email (blessingconspiracy@hotmail.com) with their snail mail or email address (for a digital card) and I'll send a Blessing Package to them anonymously (or not) on your behalf.

Remember, I've also invited you to make requests for your own Blessing package if you feel so inclined.

I'm actively seeking to use my gifts of creative intuition with these invitations. Leaving blessings in the world for an unknown recipient has its own rewards, but I also love creating for people in particular and divining the best blessing possible for them. I've been told often that I have a gift for gifting. :)

Tonight

I left one in a shopping cart on my way out of the art store with products for a new blessing project. I'm making small polymer clay tokens with either images of flowers, a quote, or a chinese character for love, joy, friend, good luck, etc. stamped into them. I'll paint them when they're done. I plan to either incorporate them into hand designed cards or gift them as they are.

I'd like to do some more handmade gifting than the digital based cards I've been doing lately. I have a slew of them done and ready to give. Now I have some time to invest in more messy forms of creating (I love to get messy with clay and paints!).

I'm piecing together three gratitude blessing packages to send out in the next week to some people who've inspired me in huge ways recently and inspire thousands of others through their expressions of bliss online and in the world. I'll let you know who once they've been delivered.

Other Cool Public/Shared Creative Projects

You Are Beautiful (This is inspiring!)

PP Artrovertism

300 Love Letters

900 Trips

Photo Tag


Wow, people have been having these art gifting inspirations for years and sharing their experience online just like I have. How did I never find this before? Found Art
There are already thousands of Creative Conspirators, even if they aren't specifically blessing focused!

What I am noticing is how many of the people who begin these kinds of public gifting projects fade away. I am contemplating making this project a form of spiritual practice--both in the creating and the blessing--so that it's motivated by something constant within and doesn't fizzle out in a few weeks or months.

* * * * *

"Everything you see has its roots in the unseen world.
The forms may change, yet the essence remains the same.
Every wonderful sight will vanish; every sweet word will fade,
But do not be disheartened,
The source they come from is eternal, growing,
Branching out, giving new life and new joy.
Why do you weep? The source is within you
And this whole world is springing up from it."
-- Rumi

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Reaching Half Way Around the World

I just received a request for a Blessing Card from someone in England very much in need of some creative encouragement. Wow! Initially I thought I'd only be touching the lives of those within my local community. Now I realize there are no limits to the reach this project can have. Yippee!

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Today's Blessing

In a plant inside an offfice building.

Monday, March 20, 2006

Blessing Card Components

These are the components of the current Blessing Card collection I'm carrying: 2 different handmade envelopes from beautiful papers, a piece of art with a quote (in this case a lovely photograph by a local friend, we just had snow for the first time in 20 years!), a project "business card", and the Kindness Token. In some cards the quote or poem and the art are on separate cards.










Generous Crafters

I serendipitously happened across the following websites tonight after reading an email from someone over at Zaadz who wants to post about my project at Supernaturale (woohoo!). These are crafters interested in making a better place with their creativity.

Craftivism
Crafty Community Service (this is a teen!)
Care Wear
Tiny Stitches
Project Linus

I love witnessing this goodness in the world!

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Today's Blessing

Today I left one on the counter in a restroom at the mall.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Slacking and Last Night...

I feel terrible about this. I didn't place a new card all week until last night, on a bulletin board at a local restaurant. I need the joy this brings me right now; the delight of conspiring to bring a little beauty into the world. I've gotta try to do better!

I've also had two people take up my offer of sending them a Blessing Card. It's fun intuiting a specific piece of art and quote for someone.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Do you want a blessing card?

Email me if you'd like me to mail you a specially-made-for-you blessing card. I had the inspiration tonight to make this invitation, imagining that if someone takes the time to ask for one, they probably need an intentional act of kindness in their lives.

One of the quotes in the new cards...“I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings. My wisdom flows from the Highest Source. I salute that Source in you. Let us work together for unity and love.” Ghandi

Stocked Up

I spent this evening making envelopes for the new set of Blessing Conspiracy cards. I have a stock of 12 to distribute this week. Tomorrow I'm going to a meeting the town over, so I'm excited about expanding the reach of this project.

Joy

The little activities this project requires bring me such joy. Tonight I have fed my spirit by creating more art and poetry cards. Tomorrow I will make art envelopes. I am also including tokens from the Kindness Project in this batch of Blessing Cards. It'll be interesting to see if they move and are tracked through my community when their journey begins this way.

Friday, March 10, 2006

Out and About

It's been three days since the last, but things have been really intense at work and I'm overwhelmed. It's hard to remember this project when my mind is swirling with chaos and tension. But I did remember today!

Tonight I left one on the counter in the bathroom in Border's in the mall. It was my last one from the batch I made a couple weeks ago. I don't know if I'll have time and energy to make more this weekend as I have to attend a meeting for work all day Sunday and I'm one tired girl. But I'll try. I can't imagine not having them with me. Even if this hasn't become a daily habit yet, it has become a sort of comfort.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Today

I left one on a table at the restaurant I had lunch at yesterday, but today was my first day out around town that I failed to place a card. I'm very distracted by difficult circumstances at work. I hope I don't lose the habit but I am feeling very overwhelmed. I'm also running out of cards and need to create more. I'll do my best to continue diligently, but self care does need to take priority over even this.

I think recording the difficult moments is as important as sharing the good ones. If I am to inspire and connect, I feel I should be as transparent as possible. I am no saint; I am just a complicated human being like everyone else.

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Validation

The note below was in the comments of a previous post...my first recipient contact. Yay! I couldn't have wished for sweeter validation.

"Your gift ended up on my business mailbox. I am not sure if you placed it there or if it was moved from its original spot by someone else. In either case, I am glad it ended up on my mailbox. Thank you. I hate to admit that at first I was a little thrown off and suspicious, but when I opened the envelope, all that mattered was this beautiful piece of art. Then as I paused long enough from admiring this amazing piece of work, with it's awesome colors and shapes, and read the intent behind it, well, it just made me smile! Hugely! I think in this cynical world where all you hear is sad and depressing and start to think that our soceity is breaking down, to get some kind of sign that not everyone/everything is bad out there, it is a huge gift. Thank you for reminding me that there are kind,good people in this world. I will frame and hang your beautiful art, for it's beauty of course but mostly as a daily reminder that there are people out there who believe in the kindness of the human spirit. It really got me thinking and I believe this to be one of the most important implications of your project. Keep people thinking. Thanks for the inspiration and please, don't be discouraged. Even if people don't take the time to tell you that your gestures are appreciated (as we should) I am sure that they are. Have a great day!"

More Cards

Thursday I left a card in a Quizno's chip dispenser and nearly got caught. No one was there when I was ordering. I placed the card sneakily as I moved to the cash register so the employees wouldn't notice. It didn't occur to me that someone would walk in and see it before I made my get away. A woman came in, walked by, noticed it, and then said "Someone left this here..." and gave it to an employee, which I thought was an interesting choice. The employee looked at it briefly and then set it on the counter for later. I must have turned beet red but nobody noticed. I don't think I was suspected.

Yesterday morning I posted on on a bulletin board downtown.

Last night I left one with our tip on a restaurant table. Wait staff are definitely under-appreciated.

I'm really trying to do at least one a day (days I leave the house that is), which wouldn't be difficult if I didn't forget about them sometimes.