The 'Donate' button is working!
Please allow me to take a moment to explain why I have a donate button on here at all... my philosophical argument for it:
Valuing Art can be a Personal, Subjective Experience:
Firstly, it is because I really believe in the subjective nature of art and valuing art. Whilst it is important for artists to hold the foremost propriety over their work and be able to ask for a financial value that they feel reflects it's true worth, I also feel that this can be a barrier to people buying work. The making and consuming of art is an exchange. I make my art primarily out of the urgent inner need that I have for being creative - that serves myself first and foremost - but it is also necessary at some level to have an audience. Art is an individual's expression and translation of life and its themes that we all experience. It is there to serve the greater whole as well as myself. I see it as progressive for potential consumers and viewers of art to be able to express their way of valuing the art that they love - it is about mutual relationship, and mutual respect... furthermore, what one person is willing or able to pay for art they admire is different to another. I would like to reflect that here. The donate button is there if you would like to add more value to any of the work you might buy from this shop - work that I am currently pricing very affordably here.
Celebrate the Spirit!
It may also be that you don't feel inclined to buy any of my pictures just now, but that you enjoy the spirit of what I am sharing here... Feeling supported financially on this path would enable me to do more of this work and other good, soulful, serving work that I would like to do. So many many people have gifts and talents that are not traditionally considered to be financially viable - but I believe if more of us who experience life this way could feel permission to pursue our life's work knowing that we will be supported financially, the world would look very different! Less of us would feel boxed into work that is not our passion, we would be 'vibrating' at a higher level, shining with a sense of fulfilment and integration at being able to do our purposeful work, that then has ripples within the wider world... children would get to learn positive messages about the purpose of work and being true to their gifts from their happy, fulfilled parents, there could be a greater sense of wellness within the community as a whole...
Why should I Donate?
If you get and like Spirit of this philosophy, I would truly welcome any donation large or small... many many people have 'donate' buttons on their website, and I think it would be so easy to overlook their deeper potential. Rather than simply asking for financial return on no goods being offered, they are progressive - instead of thinking to myself, when seeing a 'donate' button on a site "why should I donate? What will I get out of it if I donate?", I am begin to think, "already a service has been rendered here... I have enjoyed this website, heart and soul has been poured into this, probably for free/for the love of it, and I would like to show gratitude and respect for all this hard soulful work, that I have consumed and enjoyed, by pledging a donation". Even if I give a small amount, it is a token of respect, and mutual exchange.
Donation is Optional, but Welcomed with Gratitude!
Of course - it is important to add - I do not expect visitors to this site to donate!! It is not an expectation or obligation and in this article my intention is only to celebrate the potential for this way of working on the web! Donation is completely optional and voluntary and I hope, would come from the heart, not just the paypal account! And I can sincerely say that no donation will be taken for granted by me, but valued and honoured very deeply, with the deepest gratitude.
Thank you again for visiting and for reading!!