_edited.png){kind=small}
My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.
- Maya Angelou -
This is my mantra. It pops up on the regular on my phone as a reminder to try my very best to live by these words. Unfortunately, life doesn't always follow our will. Despite a mad need to control all that happens in our lives, eventually, we all have to learn the hard lesson that life is a series of random events that we have little or no control over. If you stubbornly ignore the universe's gentle nudges to just submit and live life as it happens.....like I have....then the universe has a way of waking you up by shaking the very foundations of your life.
For me it was a car accident, a head injury I call "Bertha". "Bertha" has not only radically changed not only my ability but the way I experience the world. Stubborn wench, Bertha has made a point of barring doors that led to the future I had planned for myself. I could chose to have her end my story....or I could go explore alternate possibilities. So here I am after years of playing neurological cohabitation with Bertha, and I've discovered allowing myself to be creative and open to possibilities actually soothes her.
Everyone has their own Bertha or Bernard or Joefry or whatever you name your daemon. We all have our struggles; the things that we have traditionally been told will diminish us. But you know I'm going to have to disagree with that perspective....living with a belief that I am "less than" is destructive. I'd rather assign no value to the outcome and just say that I'm different from who I was before Bertha. Our daemons, our challenges...they don't have to grind us under their heels. They can be refocussed into a force that effects a positive outcome.
So what does this have to do with my new project "Philanthropic Creative". This is me refocusing my situation and Bertha into a force of positivity. I create to heal. I create to stay connected while living a very isolated existence. I create to express emotions. I create to maintain my well being. The goal of every piece I create is to serve these needs within me. But it is my strong belief that "service" in creativity isn't limited to the artist and one or more individuals who see the artists creative product. Hence the Philanthropic Creative
phil·an·throp·ic ( filənˈTHräpik/ ) adjective (of a person or organization) seeking to promote the welfare of others, especially by donating money to good causes; generous and benevolent. "they receive financial support from philanthropic bodies"
cre·a·tive ( krēˈādiv/ ) adjective relating to or involving the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work. noun: creative; plural noun: creatives a person who is creative, typically in a professional context.
In this spirit of positivism and gratitude for all in my life, I will be holding "Philanthropic Creative Events" to sell my artwork and direct ALL PROCEEDS from sales of my work to one or both of the two fantastic organizations that I am in awe of, La Gonave Community and Child Haiti as well as HugABull Advocacy and Rescue Society. It is my sincere hope that over the years the "Philanthropic Creative" will grow to include other artists who will generously donate their work for sale in a spirit of generosity and altruism.
Take that Bertha!!!!!
So that is the story....and now I am very proud to announce that I'm launching the first Philanthropic Creative tomorrow....or the day after....right after my website and I duke it out and get it to behave. Once I do you will be able to CLICK HERE to head over to the store front and get double the value by gifting yourself with a piece of art, all while gifting a worthy organization.
