Day 5

I'm feeling really heavy and troubled with the financial side of my venture in this project.

I'm not sure how to word my thoughts today.. but one of the reasons I'm doing this blog is to get better at doing that!

Hopefully I'll be able to say a lot more with less babble, my spelling and grammar will improve and I will be able to better communicate a thought or idea.

Anyways... the funds!

If one can't afford to go do such a thing as I'm hoping to do... do they have the right to even think about it?

I know I can't afford to go... and thought to raise the money through.... I stopped here for a moment.....

through what? charity? donations..? what is it?

I know I lack financial pride.. busking with my chalk murals contributed to that...

I'd put a hat or bucket at front of where I was doing my mural. Id write "help support local arts" along with my theme for the day... and start drawing.

Out of all the different types of work I've done... this was the most awesome method.
I got paid on the spot... People offered what they thought the experience they had through my art was worth through various contributions. Most discreetly placed money in bucket while others wanted you to know they were putting money in. The process is actually quite beautiful in its own way. Some would discreetly place a 20 dollar bill under a pile of change in fear it would blow away or that someone might steal it. Others like to get my attention, wave it in the air and dramatically put it in bucket.

The same thing would go for even smaller amounts. Big or small I ALWAYS felt thankful someone would take their hard earned money and offer it to me for drawing pictures in chalk on the sidewalk! I had no idea how hard they worked for the money given to me. I always assumed the worst kind of work for the least amount of pay with my expressed thanks.

This may sound messed up.. but I found some of the biggest compliments were when people on the streets would offer me their last bit of food, a coupon or even a joint. I don’t touch drugs but that joint can temporarily help that person soothe a great deal of pain (physical or otherwise). Or to be offered that or a pan handlers change (one that begs for money) was the most unusual yet very moving compliment to my work. I’d even get asked if I’m going to spend money on drugs or booze! Many people just didn’t understand why I would go do this type of work because I like it and know that I had more rewarding experiences selling my art through this means,(even if it was temporary) than I did making really good money as a graphic/web site designer.

The better I performed the better I was paid. This is Simple and successful logic. It rarely works like that in the business world.
Well... My hopes are to do a similar thing here with my photography.
I don’t want charity... I’m looking for investment! Investment in an idea... a concept a dream and that it will all come to life and mean something specific to the investor.
I do want to offer something tangible to all, but I’m going against a lot of odds here.
Perhaps pulling it off will inspire others to find ways of making their own dreams come true!
This isn’t or wasn’t a dream to go to Africa... the dream is to be a world known “person” (Steve Gerecke) that used his photography to show the world that despite odds... If one has the Will, desire and reason to a specific task of choice... they can do it!
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