My Next Experiment: Gifting Meets Crowd Funding
Hey it’s Michael Skye, writing from Thailand.
In 2006 at the height of the Iraq War, I was no longer content to sit on the sidelines.
I knew that I could make a bigger difference, if I turned the focus of my work and my life to supporting revolutionaries, social entrepreneurs, visionary artists and activists…
That’s when VisionForce was born.
If I take away all the grand visions and notions of what VisionForce is or could be what remains is this:
One guy (me) choosing to take risks and experiment with “being the change” and supporting others who are also standing for a more beautiful world.
Over the past several years I’ve been experimenting with GIFTING my life’s work.
My hunch is that what I’ve been learning about “gifting” could be a great help to many fellow visionaries (and I say you are a visionary if you are following an inspired vision of your heart).
What GIFTING is NOT:
– NOT for profit
– NOT non-profit
– NOT charity
– NOT “free”
For me, authentic gifting comes from my heart, and what I am gifting is sacred. I am careful how I give.
HERE’s how I’ve been gifting my life’s work:
– I share my work whenever and wherever I feel the desire to share, provided that another authentically desires to receive.
– The receiver does *not* need to pay me anything.
So how do I survive?
– I’ve reduced my “cost of living” to a bare minimum (I’m not buying expensive things, I’m not engaging in debt, I don’t have costly habits, etc.)
– I show up generously everywhere I go, connecting to people with my heart, seeing where I can serve, and serving.
– I give whenever I feel a desire, without fear for my own survival.
– I simply TRUST I’ll be provided for without knowing where the support will come from, and without borrowing money or asking for handouts.
What I’ve stopped doing:
– I’ve stopped selling my work and self-promoting
– I’ve stopped “networking” – filtering people by how I can profit from a relationship
– I’ve stopped borrowing money and loaning money
– I’ve stopped taking on “world-changing” projects, and stopped promoting grand visions
– I’ve stopped trying to “motivate” people to get involved in what I am up to
– And lots more
And, I’ve been THRIVING!
There’s so much I could say about all this…
– How I’ve been asking without asking,
– How I’ve been moving/traveling in the world,
– How I give and receive without entangling relationships
– How I’ve navigated different cultures’ values around money
– How I hold what I gift sacred
– How I give without “self-sacrifice”
WHAT I’M GIFTING NOW:
I’m here in Thailand finishing a book on my life’s work.
The online version of the book will be gifted, as well as the online tools and trainings it links to, as well as LIVE in-person events and trainings that it invites people to attend around the world.
How can I afford to gift this much?
It’s simple: I have PATRONS.
A patron is not a customer looking to get a product or service in exchange for their money.
A patron is not an investor looking to get a financial return on their money.
A patron is simply someone who wants to see something exist in the world, and gifts money to support an artist, scientist or other benefactor of humanity.
Patrons make it possible for the visionary to stay true to their vision or gift for humanity without worrying about “making a profit” or “earning a living.”
Every visionary who is following their heart and their art and giving BIG in the world should have patrons!
In the near future I’ll be helping to connect visionaries with patrons…
But first I’ve got a few more experiments of my own.
The first is an Indiegogo crowd funding campaign to raise funds to finish and self-publish my book.
If you already know you’d like to share my campaign with your people (on facebook, twitter, or elsewhere), please join our informal facebook group of friends who helping me to share the campaign: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GiftingVisionForce/
Everything here is made possible by our Patrons!