Friday, June 30, 2006

Lovely

When They Sleep

All people are children when they sleep.
There's no war in them then.
They open their hands and breathe
in that quiet rhythm heaven has given them.

They pucker their lips like small children
and open their hands halfway,
soldiers and statesmen, servants and masters.
The stars stand guard
and a haze veils the sky,
a few hours when no one will do anybody harm.

If only we could speak to one another then
when our hearts are half-open flowers.
Words like golden bees would drift in.
God, teach me the language of sleep.

~ Rolf Jacobsen ~

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Creative Wisdom

"Creativity is a shapechanger. One moment it takes this form, the next that. It is like a dazzling spirit who appears to us all, yet is hard to describe for no one agrees on what they saw in that brilliant flash. Are the wielding of pigments and canvas, or paint chips and wallpaper, evidence of this existence? How about pen and paper, flower borders on the garden path, building a university? Yes, yes. Ironing a collar well, cooking up a revolution? Yes. Touching with love the leaves of a plant, pulling down “the big deal,” tying off the loom, finding one's voice, loving someone well? Yes. Catching the hot body of the newborn, raising a child to adulthood, helping raise a nation from its knees? Yes. Tending to a marriage like the orchard it is, digging for psychic gold, finding the shapely word, sewing a blue curtain? All are of the creative life."
-Clarissa Pinkola Estesin Women Who Run with the Wolves

Monday, June 26, 2006

Is generosity contrary to American values?

I've been wondering how many people come to this site and find themselves questioning whether I'm really doing what I do for free and what sinister marketing motivation I may be hiding? And then I wonder if people who do realize that it's truly free, still hesitate to request a blessing because they've been taught to distrust anything that comes for free? Or maybe they feel they don't deserve anything they don't have to exchange some sort of energy for? This project has really got me thinking about the presence of generosity in our culture of consumerism and materialism.

"A potlatch is a ceremony among certain Native American/First Nations peoples on the Pacific Northwest coast of the United States and the Canadian province of British Columbia such as the Haida, Tlingit, Tsimshian, Salish, Nuu-chah-nulth, and Kwakiutl (Kwakwaka'wakw). The potlatch takes the form of a ceremonial feast traditionally featuring seal meat or salmon. In it, hierarchical relations between groups were observed and reinforced through the of gifts and other ceremonies. The potlatch is an example of a gift economy; the host demonstrates their wealth and prominence through giving away their possessions and thus prompt participants to reciprocate when they hold their own potlatch.

Potlatching was made illegal in Canada (1885) and the United States in the late nineteenth century, largely at the urging of missionaries and government agents who considered it "a worse than useless custom" that was wasteful, unproductive, and contrary to the work ethic and values of Canadian/American society." Cole, Douglas and Ira Chaikin. An Iron Hand Upon The People: The Law Against The Potlatch on the Northwest Coast. Vancouver and Seattle: Douglas & McIntyre and University of Washington Press, 1990.

Is generosity contrary to American values? You may prickle against my even asking this question since there are examples of American generosity on a daily basis. But consider that all donations to non-profit organizations are tax deductible, which means the giver is making an exchange if they plan to use the deduction. They aren't really giving anything away that they already wouldn't be paying in taxes. Consider as well that most corporations and small businesses contribute to publicized campaigns or sponsor events that give them some sort of media exposure. Philanthropists get their names associated with the organizations they support, which is a form of community currency. How many people truly give with no expectation of receiving something in return?

Also consider the kinds of campaigns that receive the most funding. Cancer research. Disaster relief. Issues that allow us to see our donations make a visible impact on the community. We trade our donation for knowing we've improved someone's existence on a physical level with advances in medicine for the body or shelter, food, and water for the impoverished.

Consider that many public schools in our nation are in shambles (a topic I applaud Oprah for taking on this year). Why are we sending our money to tsunami victims in Asia when our own children are receiving one of the lowest rated educations in the modernized world? Because we can't see or feel the immediate effects of their improved education? Because it isn't physically tangible so we don't experience an exchange that we can measure in the short term? Why do we allow our politicians to give more corporate welfare than social service programs? Because we can't physically quantify the effects on the home lives of the poor but we can quantify the price of a stock?

I do see generosity in America. I see it in one-on-one and family-to-family relationships. I see it in the $10-20 donations from lower middle class families to the non-profit I work for that don't ever get the recognition that the thousand dollar donors do, even though that $20 has a much deeper impact on their day-to-day survival. I see it in the amazing acts of kindness that take place online. But I don't see the expression of it, or the recognition of it, in our dominant culture. Making potlatching illegal, which required the investment of large amounts of energy in our political system, is a glaring example of how our economic system has infiltrated the value system we've manifested at a national level for the last hundred plus years despite the generosity we express in our day to day lives.

I have received several letters from recipients of my blessing packages who say that I've brought a light to the darkness they see in the world. I've even been told I renewed someone's hope in humanity. It's significant that my little action of giving something away with no expectation has such a tremendous impact on someone's life. It tells us that generosity is not a quality of life that we're accustommed to experiencing. So I'm on a Generosity Mission. That's what this project has become: a mission to bring generosity into our cultural consciousness. Want to help? Email me and let's talk about how you, too, can aspire (or already are aspiring) to participate in the Conspiracy of Blessings.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Serendipity

A friend of mine is the scene editor for a local newspaper. She just sent out an email this afternoon about a reading at a local coffee shop tonight by the creators of Found Magazine, which is an interactive creative project where found writings and photographs are sent in from around the country and published online, in magazines, and books. Oh my gosh! How had I failed to find them on my own? Even though I'm rarely spontaneous about outings, I had to go since this was exactly the kind of project I've been researching lately as I figure out my own little interactive creativity niche. I feel The Conspiracy is just the beginning of something bigger and more interactive. What fun and inspiration! I love how these snippets of some stranger's life evoke such humor and compassion and curiousity in people. It's like a sneaky intimate peak into someone's personal story. And it turns out Davy Rothbart is also someone I've enjoyed listening to on NPR's This American Life radio show (it's one of my writing dreams to be on that show!). I gave Davy one of my Conspiracy postcards and let him know to expect an art blessing package when he gets back home from the tour. I highly recommend checking out the magazine or books (which include great graphic design). Talk about an engaging conversation piece when you have guests over!

Gratitude

I just want to say a big Thank You to Roger over at Every Day Giving for giving this project a kind blurb in his latest newsletter. If you're one of Roger's readers, welcome, and please see the posts linked on the side bar for how to request a blessing or to find out what this project is all about. And consider letting others know I'm here. I want to give more blessings away!

Something to be grateful for: I have three job interviews in the next week, so things are looking and feeling much better than they have been since receiving the lay-off news. Thank you for the encouragement to those of you who have written.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Generosity in Action

Kiva: Loans that Change Lives

Cool Blog

Check out this interactive art project...The Envelope Collective.

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Today

Things have been difficult lately. I'm being laid off from my job in two weeks and new prospects are few. I've been mostly ignoring the Conspiracy due to my own emotional roller coaster, but that changed today. I caught up on requests and I feel great. I remembered that abundance persists in a grateful and generous life. If I trust the Universe enough to stay committed to this project, my life will continue to be abundant in some way. I have to remain hopeful!

Give me people to send more blessings to!

Saturday, June 17, 2006

The Way Things Could Be

"Once I was in Victoria, and I saw a very large house. They told me it was a bank and that the white men place their money there to be taken care of, and that by and by they got it back with interest. We are Indians and we have no such bank; but when we have plenty of money or blankets, we give them away to other chiefs and people, and by and by they return them with interest, and our hearts feel good. Our way of giving is our bank." -Chief Maquinna, Nootka

Everyone should see this!

Moments of Intimacy, Love, Kinship – a collection of photographs from professional and amateur photographers alike, from 160+ different countries, all representing the commonality of human love, joy, and friendship. These photographs are amazing! I've linked you directly to the online video, which combines a few of the photos with the amazing words of some of the artists and subjects.

Sunday, June 11, 2006

What I'm Up Against


I stumbled across this quote today...

Jordan J. Cohen, president of the Association of American Medical Colleges, told The Washington Post recently that the best advice came from his mother: "My mother told me never to accept gifts from strangers. If a stranger wants to give you a gift, it's very likely they want something in return."

How many people will approach my project with suspicion because of a belief like this? Is this one of the consequences of capitalism, that we don't trust any gift that doesn't come with a string attached or an expectation of something in return?

I believe that looking from a bigger perspective is necessary. There does appear to be a rule of reciprocity in the universe, which many people call Karma. I have received unexpected gifts from giving out blessings through this project, but not from the recipients. They have been the gifts of self-love, a fulfilled life, and renewed inspiration.

I hope that my project can help foster more trust in our natural capacity for generosity.

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Wow!

I have found a new method of soothing myself when life is difficult and my inner critic seeks to make me small. I go back and reread the many lovely emails and blog comments I have received since beginning this project. I wish I could give everyone a personal journal of such joy, love, gratitude, and appreciation. If we all had words like these to read every day, the world would be a better, happier place. I'm sure of it.

One of the creative gifting ideas I've had in the past but have not acted upon is collecting positive messages from a person's loved ones and gathering them in a blessing box or homemade journal for the person to turn to during times of difficulty or when they need a little boost of self-love. Maybe it's time to give this gift to someone.

Friday, June 02, 2006

Catching Up

I've been moving the offices for my day job this week, so exhaustion has prevented any progress with The Conspiracy. I hope to catch up with the few requests I have this weekend, as well as figure out the next step in drawing people to this project.