Money, Money, Money, Money! & Passions: Business Ventures and the 5x5

Hey Loves!
I have missed writing you, I must say, but with attempting to start up the Contemplative [re]Purposing business, there has been A LOT of other writing to be had!!!

Not as reflective of writing in the way that I usually find myself, but its been surprisingly
-- and refreshingly -- just as meaningful.

Website, cards, pamphlets,  flyers, presentations, event preparations,
art festival and grant applications...

As I was affirming with my other entrepreneurial friend the other week,
IT
FEELS
SO
GOOD
just to have a work-something be mine.

I know I'm still not getting paid for this whole thing yet, and commissions haven't been coming in as rapidly as I was expecting, but I can't describe to you the depth of contentedness in getting up every morning and feeling that assurance on my heart that speaks,

"This is what I need to be doing."

I've always really wondered what that feels like to the people who talk about their work never "feeling like work". I feel honored to understand that more -- if this does actually turn into an income based venture like I hope it will.

If anything I feel honored to at least attempt,
connect with the people I have,
and have the opportunities I have received to get my span of ideas out there.

From The Abundance Fest, to squatting on Talbott Street Art Fair and the Woodruff Place Flea Market, to last nights biggest extravaganza of them all -- the Indy 5x5! 

Photo complements of my dear friend Jourdon. Was so wrapped up I forgot to take pictures last night!

(If you guys don't know of it or see me post on it -- 5x5 is a grant program which awards an idea --corresponding to the given theme-- $10,000 to bring it to fruition.)

Despite the blog title, you guys would have probably figured I would have a different spin on this post if I would have been the winner, but it was just awesome to be chosen for the finalist along with two other friends (one of them being the winner!) and knowing all the projects were more than worthy (click the 5x5 link above to read more about them all - E.N.G.I.N.E was the pick!)!

Thought I would share my presentation at least for those of you who were not there ( & those of you who might have been there and wanted the less anxiety peppered version ;} ).

We had 5 Slides
and 5 minutes.
1 minute per slide!
I'll try to break them up roughly as I hoped they'd go....

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Hi, my name is Bre...

If you guys haven’t gotten a chance to check out my table over there,
I do this this inclusive energetic art practice I like to call
Contemplative [re]Purposing.

I take scrap boards and salvaged materials I find,
neglected art supplies donated or purchased
and people’s sentimental-throw-aways – mementos that we keep around and don’t know what to do with – those drawers of cards and letters,  concert tickets, photos, incense ashes-- I’m willing to play with anything!

Just starting up the business side of things
I do not have any of commission pieces to show you,
but I do have some of my own.

The one left, the black one,
contain birthday cards from my mom,
newspaper articles I really liked from Branches and Nuvo,
and spices from a woman who was like my grandma.

In the middle
are actually horoscopes of mine and an ex’s that I would read all the time

and the last is made of pamphlets
from the array of religious services I’ve attended
-she’s my multifaith piece.

As I’ve continued this practice, its really evolved on itself,
as I not only wanted to including people’s things but people’s thoughts
and to including a spectrum of people in on this practice –
because I believe art is for everyone.

So I had this vision of creating Large Abstract [re]Purposed Mediation pieces   -- like those that you saw before --
but instead of people’s mementos being used as the texture, the work would be made of people’s written out meditations, contemplations, prayers.
Hopes,
dreams,
fears,
documenting them of course before they undergo the encapsulation process, and having the final abstract piece be made available to the public
for anyone who desires to sit in front of and reflect on life;
perpetuating this rhythm of mindfulness. 

But to create these pieces -- and not to just have huge scrap wood standing around my house -- I actually need to collect people’s thoughts.

This is where the mailboxes comes in…

So for 5x5  I am hoping to work with Spirit and Place or the Peace Learning Center, to create Contemplation Submission Stations
where people can take the receipts from their pockets,
and the scrap papers from their purse
and write down whatever is on their heart that they need to get out--
praises or frustrations,
gratitudes or confessions --
like an Indianapolis Post Secret almost!

We can convert old mailboxes or create boxes out of scrap materials in some distinguishable way and place them in already reflective areas within the city.
Tacking some to bus stops,
standing mailboxes outside our favorite coffee shops
and parks;
along the canal,
on the backs of benches,
around the circle – on back of recharge stations maybe even!

Possibly even finding the old pay phones which have been discontinued and equipping them to be a standing place to write down those things on the heart.

Working even to ask the USPS if there are official mail boxes that aren’t being used which we can convert. 

And maybe not supported by this 5x5, but later I imagine building on this idea where we convert abandoned spaces we have around downtown into Contemplative Spaces

homes for the Meditation pieces I create
and the books of documented prayers which the art is comprised of,  
that are open at all times,
for all people,
to sit and reflect,
maybe write down more of their own
thoughts,
hopes,
dreams,
fears,
for the sake of themselves,
and for the sake of creating future meditation pieces to come.

These places may even have their own functioning mailboxes,
where people who are not always around the downtown area can have
an address to send in their thoughts to.

And I’ve thought about fashioning a more internet savvy way of submitting our thoughts with some of the funding

– which there is already available some spots on my website for such –

But possibly constructing an application for peoples phones.
--And this is still a possibility--

But in the dire need for sacred space from our constant blazing-all-over-the-place-westernized-functioning selves,
I’m skeptical that the pre-paperless-still-resource-utilizing option of an application would be set apart from the millions of other times we are sucked into that distracting world of our cell phones and computers.  

With the overtly connected way our technology allows for us to be with everything going on out there,

we soooo forget

–I so forget--

to connect with what is going on
in here

—within myself–

within ourselves.


A loose translation for the Gnostic Gospels reads:

“Let out what is inside of you,
for what is inside of you will save you.”

So if you do nothing else for this project tonight,
Take out a piece of paper,
-- there are some scraps at my table if you need--
and jot down whatever is inside of you today
and turn it into the mail box.

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The benediction part I couldn’t conclude with because
I went slower than expected  and my 5 were up :]

  I want to leave with one of the written contemplations I’ve received:

“May we all recognize the divine within ourselves” 
and I would like to add, within each other.

And like my written contemplation above states,
May "I feel peace", because I’m so glad this is over :]

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Thank you!

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There she was!

Might not be $10,000 closer to projects happening,
but feels a step closer to something!

I was actually a little intimidated with the big projects happening so soon in the process!
I haven't even gotten a chance to start on commissions & was mourning the thought of missing out on those -- whenever those do start coming around. 

Like one of the thoughts from the thoughtful ones from last night stated: Keeping my 
eye on the donut! Whatever the donut is!

Hope you keep your eye on your donuts too! 
And keep sharing what is inside of you,
even if it is through the distracting world of your phones and computers :]
Love you.