I was just thinking this yesterday at how some of the teachings that i have encountered in my life would have been different if they had been held through the gift economy. As a herbalist I have done extensive long studies, and the teachers have need to be compensated for their wisdom and their time. But the loss that we all experienced because it was through the impersonal and sticky lens of the dollar was felt by everyone.
The teachings were profound, a year long immersion into forest wisdom, years long apprenticing into journeying and other realm healing, elemental plant medicine, year long deep dive into case histories and wisdom sharing from elders. they have been and remain to be life changing.
However the communities that were formed have all but disintegrated, our relationships with the teachers clouded by having access to their time and what we would owe for that and this is what i was musing on yesterday as i wondered about how it would be different if we had be given these teachings because they belonged to us, because they are inherent in our community and apart of our community.
I'm into the ethos for sure. And the on-the-ground transformation, not just as a theory. But I must admit real rock-against-hard-place challenges as a lifelong fringe virtuoso woodwinder who has been living on the dental-floss (thinner than shoestring) budget for some decades at this point. My experience, for instance, with donating performances to spiritual institutions and/or conferences has only led to more "opportunity" to play for free and pay my own way to get there. Something that would need to be funded by. . . .? the conversion of some other activity (non-existent "dayjob"? fictional trust-fund?) into funds to travel and register, I suppose? It's a kind of dark ouroboros, and it sounds trite to sum it up here but, it's a nut I have not cracked let alone roasted eaten or digested.
This essay is good food for thought of the root of what's really at stake in all this, so that's helpful.
Your story is so so common. The habit is to blame either oneself or the spiritual institutions. Neither are actually at fault. It is the system. The people in the institutions are probably thinking, "We'd love to pay this guy, but we are on a tight budget..." So the bigger question is why is everyone on a tight budget? That was one of the inquiries in Sacred Economics. We live in pervasive and artificial scarcity due to the nature of the money system. Well, I won't try to summarize here...
So true! I can dig it for sure, this is the fabric in which this happens. The dancing landscape of systems dynamics producing results no one actually (usually) wants. To go deeper into this view, I shall actually read Sacred Economics ;-) -- and also retake my own wife's online mini-course on systems thinking ! --https://www.systemsthinkingmarin.org/resources/systems-thinking-mini-course/
The thing that stings a bit more, however, was dealing with that self-righteousness + non-integrity attitude and disrespect that I encountered. Even dive bars where we had to split $30 amongst the band at 1:30 a.m. back in my rock days had more honesty and respect for artists than I have encountered in some allegedly "spiritual" spheres.
Maybe their inner cognitive dissonance between their "mission" / teachings vs. being trapped by the system causes this added level of, I dunno, snobbery? Denial? When I tune into it, the grit that always I pick up from the old Zen and Taoist wisdom teachings that I embrace is just not there in many of the communities attempting to present some of these same things -- In fact, something like its opposite seems to be leaning on the door, actually. . . . . anyways, thanks Charles, this is actually very helpful 🙏
What you describe sounds like exploitation. Not covering travel costs when your gift enhances their conference etc? Seems like a minimum - along with facilitating a “tipping jar” or some other method for donation from attendees (acknowledging your are not being paid).
Thanks for the support JacquelineP! You might be mildly nauseated if I shared more details about the time Famous Spiritual Place X posted a performance of mine uncredited on their website, and refused to share the video with me (the sharing of which, in fact, was the agreed upon "payment" for the whole appearance!).
You see, many of the places we are all familiar with who offer workshops, celebrity speakers, etc. do not -- within the organization's inner layers -- practice any of the values being presented at said offerings. In spite of "good intentions", it often seems to come down to the Bottom Line, brand protection and leaning hard into the cult of personality/celebrity. They have to compete in the climate outlined above, in this essay, after all.
Sure, I can conjure something like compassion for this scenario -- seemingly over and over -- I know they are humans after all; but my riddle remains. And I know it's not just "my" riddle. The performing arts and artists are an endangered species, whether mainstream culture realizes this yet or not. Only the known, tried-and-true is to be replicated after a certain stage of this capital conversion that Charles describes. The rest is left to wither on the vine it would seem.
Very happy to encounter your music Cornelius! Wow! I did not, until now, know anything about you or this Shakuhachi instrument until now. I have always enjoyed playing woodwinds and reeds, who knows...maybe some day I can study with you. So much to explore. Enjoyed the Green Swampy Water blues short film and some of the archival tracks on your website. I think for artists in something resembling your position we should really increase sacred hospitality, especially at eco-villages and communities with some coin. Maybe if we had more Artists-in-Residency opportunities for artists to share their skills and bring a cultural experience to a community. There are lots of music festivals and large gatherings, but also I think many of us yearn for something more intimate to nurture one artist at a time while they are sharing their gifts and enlivening a community. It is somewhat disturbing to me that people often don't want to pay 10-20 bucks to support local musicians but will pay hundreds to see some famous artist. On a broader note, why is it so hard to pay (or get paid for) things that are the most important to us (it often feels better to barter amongst friends or family). Why are "social" missions left to the "non-profit" organizations? I think while capitalism is still the reality we should channel the funds to the things we care about the most, but energetically it IS challenging.... I look forward to hearing from you on the mailing list Mr. Boots!
Julian! Thanks for this supportive comment, it feels good to read it ;-)
All good thoughts for sure, I have attempted proposing artist-in-residencies a bit and maybe should circle back to that. The proposals have generally fizzled but perhaps I gave up too soon.
I might add briefly that part of why I have leaned into my bamboo-only career since 2016 (I sold all my manufactured woodwinds -- and left my steady teaching of those instruments! -- and have gone 100% primitive, so to speak) is that I really enjoy the nano-niche-economic flow between me and other craftspeople and artists -- specifically the flutemakers and audio engineers that I collaborate with and my tattoo/album cover artists. Even though it is still "money" (and often crowdsourced, another somewhat-correct leaning model, perhaps) I have to say it feels really good to pay these close colleagues and friends. I'd rather give one of them 3000 dollars instead of giving, say, Verizon 3 dollars. If I could.
Yes, the same situation between a rock and a hard place exists in so many of our (consumer) culture's domains. I don't know why. Is it that these institutions that artists perform at attract people without funds? I don't think so. The nearest buddhist encampment to me charges a great deal for retreats with esteemed teachers. (JacquelineP is right-on in her comment, I think.) A friend calls the path he follows via that spiritual center the Upper Middle Way. Maybe it's that as a consumer culture we have become so enamored by the word free that we assume that if something doesn't cost us something that it's free and thus we have no compulsion to balance the scales. When we receive a gift, I think it's usual to feel an obligation of sorts (at worst) to return the kindness, a yearning to give back at best. We talk about exchanging gifts during the holidays. When a musician performs without charge it might feel less like a gift and more like a BOGO deal (you pay for the main event and get the music for free) or free shipping—especially if we pay a lot for the main event.
I think you are getting into some good insights here Stevie. Made me think of a few sayings we hear "Everyone is a sucker for free stuff." Or "getting people in the door" with a "loss leader" ( a product that makes little or no money, but gets someone in the door to buy other stuff ), or planned obsolescence and the desire for cheap stuff instead of long lasting more expensive well crafted stuff, etc. These things all diminish what can be a very exciting interaction of exchange. Have we not experienced it at a market, or in an exchange, when we actually pay (or get paid) for something and feel really good about the interaction? The goal is to have both parties honor the arrangement and we must work towards this aspect. In my travels I have been to markets where haggling for a price became part of gaining respect in the culture and even though I could pay the top price without much problem, it seemed it was actually more respectful to negotiate and establish a relationship. These types of experiences show us that it is not the money per se, or the system, but it is the integrity between the parties. As Cornelius has brought up here something has been lost in relationship to supporting musicians & artists...I would also say small farms, slow food, main street shops, small businesses, local bookstores...basically anything small or humble. The loudest player gets the pay out. Get big or get out. I do think we are finally beginning to listen more to what really matters ...
I'm going to ramble, so forgive me. Yes, to be small or humble is not a winning ticket these days, and a tough choice if you weren't born with the proverbial silver spoon in your mouth. To make music or be a maker of anything and pay the bills, it seems you have to get big, which means you must be ambitious. That's why I'm glad to see the word humble in Julian's post. The author who isn't on social media, constantly pushing their book, better have a lucrative day job. I think of the poet Rilke in his Letters to a Young Poet saying that the best reason to write is because you have to write. Rilke had enough privilege so that he could follow his heart. Most musicians, writers, artists have to be pushy to succeed, to acquire fame and fortune through their art. It's a path that does not encourage us to be modest and respectful. So as a culture we may not only be deprived of the art of the humble, but we encourage pride, forcefulness, aggrandizement. The path of an artist who does not have a great emotional/ego need to have their art recognized by thousands of followers is discouraged. To me, this is a higher path. If you're a humble or modest person with a less hungry ego, you are out of luck. Right you are, Julian.
Collectively we can of course change the story. Celebrate art. Support simple living. Build supportive infrastructure such as affordable housing, community foraging….
I appreciate the reminder. I am troubled by the professionalization of intimacy. It has gotten to the point that holding space for friends as they share their trauma and pain is considered irresponsible if one does not have a degree and certification.
I have been trying to find a space for an addiction support group that is attempting to integrate what works about the 12 steps with a social and trauma-based understanding of addiction, but because I'm not a credentialed therapist, well-meaning people fear that it is too dangerous to discuss the relationship between trauma and addiction without a professional there.
The idea of people coming together to find trust and intimacy and explore their pain and common bondage to oppressive systems is scandalous. It is a sign of how completely capital has stripped away the cultural commons.
I don't have a group like that to name, but maybe you want to check out the podcast Fucking Cancelled. The hosts Jay and Clementine talk extensively exactly about the convergence of 12 steps and trauma, as they've got experience with both. Although the podcast itself is about cancel culture and what might be the root of it.... Maybe they can also point you in the direction of people who are interested in the same, or maybe their audience can.
I find the best way is to keep quietly persisting and trusting that the way will be cleared. Mostly opposition is about fear in some guise but forging ahead regardless often makes it evaporate. The emperor has no clothes.
Check out this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/mDLsHK3SN2o. This guy is doing healing and addiction recovery as a gift. Amazing! Beautiful story. He gives his Instagram and email at the end of the video.
In the ancient times of 1988, at the Third No. American Bioregional Congress, the Economics Committee, which was my thing back then (Gaian Economics, creating an economy for the living Earth), crafted the most beautiful vision statement that was adopted by formal consensus. Reading it out loud (with All Species present, thanks to the magic of David Abram who coordinated the All Species committee) was one of the most moving experiences! Here is what we came up with:
A bioregional economy manifests itself through qualities of gift, trust, and compassion. Bioregional economics is a tool for implementing a social agenda informed by relationships, interdependence, and diversity; and is sensitive to the scale of the Earth’s systems. Bioregional economics distributes the gifts of Earth to sustain the health and richness of the biosphere in which we live and through which human needs are fulfilled. Decision-making is based on principles of local, democratic self-control and, secondarily, through mutually friendly, cooperative and compassionate relationships between and among individuals, groups, communities, bioregions, federations, and all species. A bioregional economics is expressive of a universe of beings evolving and working harmoniously toward the fulfillment of our individual destinies and our common future. A bioregional economy reflects the oneness of all life.
Sustainability of the bioregion is the hallmark of the bioregional economy. The following principles characterize the quality of action in a bioregional economy.
1. Balance between individual freedom, social equity, and responsibility to the web of life.
2. Respect for the Earth community and responsibility to the future as a context for local, decentralized control.
3. Equitable access to the gifts of Earth.
4. Respect for individual freedom within community.
5. Attention to scale in relation to ecology, economy, and decentralization.
6. Friendly and cooperative economic relationships.
7. Ecologically prudent design, production and distribution of durable goods (minimize waste).
8. To engage in the exchange of goods and services by relying less upon taking as much as possible for the smallest possible payment, and to rely more upon giving as much as one is able to and trusting the the gift is returned as others are able.
Then were were several strategies to get from here to there, which are in my book, Economics as if the Earth Really Mattered.
This is a very ideal vision, I am aware. Yet the models to create it do exist - various forms of community currency (both physical, paper currency or networks of exchange, that can facilitate wider exchanges. I helped co-create a community currency project in the early 1990s (it was a physical currency based on Ithaca Hours (the most 'famous' community currency started by Paul Glover). We even got some stores to accept it for a % of purchases. This was in Montpelier, VT. Today, the Schumacher Center for a New Economics in Great Barrington, MA is an excellent source of information, as well as an amazing library (on line for some things but at the Center itself) for pretty much anything ever written on community economics, land trusts, CSA, community currency, and so on. We know what we need to do. We have many of the tools we need. What we are lacking is . . . what? What keeps us stuck? (I know there are many answers to that question).
What keeps us stuck? Interesting question. I can think of many many answers - none of which is definitively THE answer. I think it is a ‘death by a thousand cuts’ situation. Systems (formal and informal) build up over time - rules, laws, norms, etc. Kinda like arterial hardening chokes off blood flow, cultures & societies get hardened into ways of doing things that become very resistant to change. Sometimes - some break free and find ways to operate in the margins. But changing the systems, rules, norms - is either glacially slow until a tipping point is reached, or violently fast. Most do not want to commit or experience violent change (I don’t) and so you just do what it takes to get by in the existing conditions while lamenting that things are what they are. Not a great answer but how I see it. So then the question becomes - am *I* really motivated to DO something to make a change? If so - all I can do is ‘act locally’ to impact in a positive way my immediate situation & circle of influence. Accept that with humility & trust that The Universe (God) will sort it all out.
A dear friend homesteaded, worked as a midwife and environmental protector and intimately connected directly to the locals in Costa Rica for over twenty years. She has alot to say about the many reasons Costa Rica is the way it is. Costa Rica has no standing military. It has around 26 different political parties all vying for votes. She tells me that few in Costa Rica actually follow the rules or listen to the government. They smile and nod and go their own way. Which is very frustrating when you want to get something done, but means there is much less stress in the culture as they just throw up their hands with complex problems and say God will have to take care of it and then move on. Costa Ricans are almost exclusively family oriented and grow much of their own food and live in tightknit communities. Food is abundant in a rainforest environment and they are good farmers. This makes them incredibly independent even when quite monetarily poor. The western powers have done far less explotiation and political machinations in Costa Rica compared with nearby countries such as Nicaragua etc.
On the darker side, there is alot of property theft, expecially stealing from gringos. As a woman alone, my friend had to chase bad dudes from her property more than once. ( She is truly an amazon and used her machete to threaten invaders with. Apparently pretty soon word went around not to mess with her!) My friend still has property down there, but got stuck in the US during Covid. She went back for awhile, even tho she is unvaxed and the Costa Rican government was officially requiring vaccination;
but because they are so lacksidasical there in many ways, she got back in. My friend is aging and homesteading the jungle requires alot of work. Plus her family is here in the states, so it seems less and less likely she will move back there. If I were in better health myself, I would be sorely tempted to move down there with her! Even tho I have never been there, she speaks so fondly and longingly of her Costa Rican jungle homestead that I wish very much I could go.
I am here in CR now! Loved this story. I have been thinking about coming here annually. I didn't know about the local culture here but I did notice the energy you & Charles both described. I am completely open to exchanges. I brought my blend of Healthy Hair Tea to exchange with an acupuncturist I met 2 years ago, we arranged it before I left US. I can't wait for this to happen.
She has her treatment table set up on her balcony overlooking an entire bay. It is the most lovely place to receive acupuncture. Even though real estate prices seem astronomical here, in my heart I believe I can manifest what I want...something similar to my friend's situation.
I would love to support you balancing your health so you can come down! If this sounds good, I welcome you to reach out!
Way cool you are in Costa Rica right now! Thank you for your kind offer of support. I have been blessed with abundant herbal remedies and natural supplements so I am good for a long while on that front. It is basically old age/ arthritis etc. affecting me these days. Manageable but not really fixable at this point. Cannot take on the wilderness as I once did and long travel is just too exhausting. However I have a great deal of vicarious appreciation of other's adventures. So wish you well.
Only in Costa Rica: On our drive to a beach on a dusty, unpaved road, we slowly passed a man on horseback texting. No hands on reins, in complete oblivion. I wonder if the horse will go its own way... I really wanted to take a photo but it was too bumpy & dusty.
This is another wonderfully Intelligent article.. thank you..
Yes indeed it is a fact that our society is run by the Black Cavalry of commerce. It Conditions the consciousness of Americans to Monetize all things. Even medical practice..
Up until about one hundred years ago Chinese medicine functioned in a much purer state.. your Chinese doctor received a small monthly stipend to maintain your optimal health.. if you got sick the stipend stopped until the patient regained good health.. so obviously your doctor was motivated to get you back to optimal health asap, this is the opposite of how it functions in todays American Corrupt Sick Care system which has been monetized for about 150 years..
Pharmaceutical Companies are the Antithesis of True Health care systems.. They and their products are just Predator Monetization.. a plague upon Americans and mankind..
I recall not that long ago, the 1980s and even the 90s where my primary care doctor could handle about 90% of my health care needs in the office. My PCP doctor now does almost nothing except dagnostics and then refers me out to a specialist network where it can take several months to get an appointment.
I feel like I'm a piece of meat on an assembly line where the medical industrial complex feeds on me, or on my insurance plan. Of course, they are all practicing defensive medicine, i.e., protecting themselves from lawyers.
And from what I understand, for the most part, it's the health insurance industry and government regulations that pulls the strings of the healthcare industry. Big Pharma and conventional medicine are in cahoots and the insurance industry and government regulators are the overlords.
Crazy, though, when you think about it. "Care" providers make their money when people get sick and use their services, but the insurance industry makes more money when people don't get sick. And it's the insurance industry/and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid that tells doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies what gets covered under what circumstances. You'd think that there would be more wellness and preventive care. More and more doctors who seem to want to get people well are opting out of the system, meaning they don't take insurance. They often become concierge doctors. The upshot: the wealthy get the better care because they can better afford either the best insurance plans or healthcare outside the system. Same old . . .
In short, we are f****, but more and more people are beginning to see that it is indeed a revolving door for many who work for Big Pharma, then the CDC and FDA, and vice versa. The facts are out there: These government agencies are, in large part, funded by the pharmaceutical monsters. So we have a revolving door for careerists and a situation where each entity scratches the other's back. Too bad Dr. Fauci and others like him are such charmers. Hard to get the truth to fully penetrate their lies.
As a minister's daughter growing up in small towns I sat on the edge of sustainable community where people could have conversations from different points of view and still maintain love and caring for each other. Now, age 67, I can't tell you how many people have stormed away from my life because our views differ. I long for the connection I remember in those small towns. Where I live now is a small community but I've experienced the lying, cheating, and agendas from supposed friends that stems from unhealed personalities who operate from their childhood wounding. It is very sad to me the lack of trust and suspicion that abounds.
Tony Blair gave a talk at the WEF be moaning the lack of digital infrastructure in the world. He meant digital vaccine certificates and the ability to track them, along with other biometrics and using business as the partner to do this. For example, banks and credit card companies.
I am pessimistic about our ability to stop this. It represents the next big thing, monetizing the human being by digital slavery.
I really enjoyed this article, Charles. This is a message that I wouldn’t mind if you continued to repeat, over and over. And, healthy human beings are altruistic. It’s part of our nature. Just ask the Dalai Lama!
I understand that feeling. But spiritual leaders aren't God. They aren't perfect - and in this whole mess of shots, I am trying not to "throw the baby out with the bathwater." I think if I can hold space for human error, I can still believe in miracles (like Charles article on ravens last week), while still being true to my own beliefs (like not poisoning myself :))
Great insights. Naturally there can be some middle ground too. In a small backwoods community I once described the serial barter of "ducks, trucks, and bucks." Yes, bucks were sometimes included in the exchange. For example, when I had a decent pickup truck to share, I set a per km rate, transparently set to cover costs (fuel, insurance, maintenance). This was a practical solution that achieved truck access to a small circle of neighbors, while sharing real expenses.
I think that as more and more people walk away from organized religion, for better or for worse, we begin to let go of an inherently strong 'gift community' or village. I'm sure everyone's experience with organized religion can be very different but I grew up in a church community that would do anything for one another and it was amazing. I've recently had to part ways due to some serious differences in beliefs, but It's been very difficult to give up that community feeling. Yes, those people are still kind to me and would do anything for me but it's not the same now. I'm having to think about ways to build that community again and it's very difficult in today's society. I'm slowly connecting with people with similar values but it's a long slow process and I can tell it's unlikely to end in the same kind of ties that I had in my old religion.
Another thought that I had while reading this was the connection between these ideas and the ideas expressed in the book "Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture". Amazing book that I highly recommend! I had come to many of the same conclusions in this book as I began to really dive into homemaking so reading it was so soothing to my mind. I had realized years ago that my health was failing because I was fully involved in the fast paced "convenience" and materialism society of today. What my family and I really needed was a slower, healthier lifestyle. It required sacrifice and hard work, but the benefits have been more than worth it. My life has been transformed and I am so grateful that I was able to get out of the consumer driven culture. I still do live in that culture, but it doesn't rule over me anymore.
Money is perhaps the greatest curse visited on humanity. Yes, we wouldn't have anything like the developed world we enjoy in the 21st century without it. But has it been worth it?
Can humanity disengage from the 'economic' world and learn to live in the 'real' world, the world of grace and freedom, the only world that all other species on this earth have ever known?
Painfully lovely. It is heartbreaking for me to watch the devastation being wrought in the Yucatan of Mexico in just this way, and the rapid breakdown of all of these collective, healthy systems. Thank you for sharing this and giving people a way to turn back towards sacred capital.
THIS IS EVERYTHING. I have given up my business but still have my own expenses and now just gifting ... what comes back, will. I have faith. And I feel fortunate to even know this is a way.
Thanks for being good for my nervous system, Charles ... YOU are the gift.
I was just thinking this yesterday at how some of the teachings that i have encountered in my life would have been different if they had been held through the gift economy. As a herbalist I have done extensive long studies, and the teachers have need to be compensated for their wisdom and their time. But the loss that we all experienced because it was through the impersonal and sticky lens of the dollar was felt by everyone.
The teachings were profound, a year long immersion into forest wisdom, years long apprenticing into journeying and other realm healing, elemental plant medicine, year long deep dive into case histories and wisdom sharing from elders. they have been and remain to be life changing.
However the communities that were formed have all but disintegrated, our relationships with the teachers clouded by having access to their time and what we would owe for that and this is what i was musing on yesterday as i wondered about how it would be different if we had be given these teachings because they belonged to us, because they are inherent in our community and apart of our community.
I'm into the ethos for sure. And the on-the-ground transformation, not just as a theory. But I must admit real rock-against-hard-place challenges as a lifelong fringe virtuoso woodwinder who has been living on the dental-floss (thinner than shoestring) budget for some decades at this point. My experience, for instance, with donating performances to spiritual institutions and/or conferences has only led to more "opportunity" to play for free and pay my own way to get there. Something that would need to be funded by. . . .? the conversion of some other activity (non-existent "dayjob"? fictional trust-fund?) into funds to travel and register, I suppose? It's a kind of dark ouroboros, and it sounds trite to sum it up here but, it's a nut I have not cracked let alone roasted eaten or digested.
This essay is good food for thought of the root of what's really at stake in all this, so that's helpful.
Your story is so so common. The habit is to blame either oneself or the spiritual institutions. Neither are actually at fault. It is the system. The people in the institutions are probably thinking, "We'd love to pay this guy, but we are on a tight budget..." So the bigger question is why is everyone on a tight budget? That was one of the inquiries in Sacred Economics. We live in pervasive and artificial scarcity due to the nature of the money system. Well, I won't try to summarize here...
So true! I can dig it for sure, this is the fabric in which this happens. The dancing landscape of systems dynamics producing results no one actually (usually) wants. To go deeper into this view, I shall actually read Sacred Economics ;-) -- and also retake my own wife's online mini-course on systems thinking ! --https://www.systemsthinkingmarin.org/resources/systems-thinking-mini-course/
The thing that stings a bit more, however, was dealing with that self-righteousness + non-integrity attitude and disrespect that I encountered. Even dive bars where we had to split $30 amongst the band at 1:30 a.m. back in my rock days had more honesty and respect for artists than I have encountered in some allegedly "spiritual" spheres.
Maybe their inner cognitive dissonance between their "mission" / teachings vs. being trapped by the system causes this added level of, I dunno, snobbery? Denial? When I tune into it, the grit that always I pick up from the old Zen and Taoist wisdom teachings that I embrace is just not there in many of the communities attempting to present some of these same things -- In fact, something like its opposite seems to be leaning on the door, actually. . . . . anyways, thanks Charles, this is actually very helpful 🙏
Spiritual Materialism is Rampant!!!
What you describe sounds like exploitation. Not covering travel costs when your gift enhances their conference etc? Seems like a minimum - along with facilitating a “tipping jar” or some other method for donation from attendees (acknowledging your are not being paid).
Thanks for the support JacquelineP! You might be mildly nauseated if I shared more details about the time Famous Spiritual Place X posted a performance of mine uncredited on their website, and refused to share the video with me (the sharing of which, in fact, was the agreed upon "payment" for the whole appearance!).
You see, many of the places we are all familiar with who offer workshops, celebrity speakers, etc. do not -- within the organization's inner layers -- practice any of the values being presented at said offerings. In spite of "good intentions", it often seems to come down to the Bottom Line, brand protection and leaning hard into the cult of personality/celebrity. They have to compete in the climate outlined above, in this essay, after all.
Sure, I can conjure something like compassion for this scenario -- seemingly over and over -- I know they are humans after all; but my riddle remains. And I know it's not just "my" riddle. The performing arts and artists are an endangered species, whether mainstream culture realizes this yet or not. Only the known, tried-and-true is to be replicated after a certain stage of this capital conversion that Charles describes. The rest is left to wither on the vine it would seem.
Very happy to encounter your music Cornelius! Wow! I did not, until now, know anything about you or this Shakuhachi instrument until now. I have always enjoyed playing woodwinds and reeds, who knows...maybe some day I can study with you. So much to explore. Enjoyed the Green Swampy Water blues short film and some of the archival tracks on your website. I think for artists in something resembling your position we should really increase sacred hospitality, especially at eco-villages and communities with some coin. Maybe if we had more Artists-in-Residency opportunities for artists to share their skills and bring a cultural experience to a community. There are lots of music festivals and large gatherings, but also I think many of us yearn for something more intimate to nurture one artist at a time while they are sharing their gifts and enlivening a community. It is somewhat disturbing to me that people often don't want to pay 10-20 bucks to support local musicians but will pay hundreds to see some famous artist. On a broader note, why is it so hard to pay (or get paid for) things that are the most important to us (it often feels better to barter amongst friends or family). Why are "social" missions left to the "non-profit" organizations? I think while capitalism is still the reality we should channel the funds to the things we care about the most, but energetically it IS challenging.... I look forward to hearing from you on the mailing list Mr. Boots!
Julian! Thanks for this supportive comment, it feels good to read it ;-)
All good thoughts for sure, I have attempted proposing artist-in-residencies a bit and maybe should circle back to that. The proposals have generally fizzled but perhaps I gave up too soon.
I might add briefly that part of why I have leaned into my bamboo-only career since 2016 (I sold all my manufactured woodwinds -- and left my steady teaching of those instruments! -- and have gone 100% primitive, so to speak) is that I really enjoy the nano-niche-economic flow between me and other craftspeople and artists -- specifically the flutemakers and audio engineers that I collaborate with and my tattoo/album cover artists. Even though it is still "money" (and often crowdsourced, another somewhat-correct leaning model, perhaps) I have to say it feels really good to pay these close colleagues and friends. I'd rather give one of them 3000 dollars instead of giving, say, Verizon 3 dollars. If I could.
Glad to be in touch!
Yes, the same situation between a rock and a hard place exists in so many of our (consumer) culture's domains. I don't know why. Is it that these institutions that artists perform at attract people without funds? I don't think so. The nearest buddhist encampment to me charges a great deal for retreats with esteemed teachers. (JacquelineP is right-on in her comment, I think.) A friend calls the path he follows via that spiritual center the Upper Middle Way. Maybe it's that as a consumer culture we have become so enamored by the word free that we assume that if something doesn't cost us something that it's free and thus we have no compulsion to balance the scales. When we receive a gift, I think it's usual to feel an obligation of sorts (at worst) to return the kindness, a yearning to give back at best. We talk about exchanging gifts during the holidays. When a musician performs without charge it might feel less like a gift and more like a BOGO deal (you pay for the main event and get the music for free) or free shipping—especially if we pay a lot for the main event.
I think you are getting into some good insights here Stevie. Made me think of a few sayings we hear "Everyone is a sucker for free stuff." Or "getting people in the door" with a "loss leader" ( a product that makes little or no money, but gets someone in the door to buy other stuff ), or planned obsolescence and the desire for cheap stuff instead of long lasting more expensive well crafted stuff, etc. These things all diminish what can be a very exciting interaction of exchange. Have we not experienced it at a market, or in an exchange, when we actually pay (or get paid) for something and feel really good about the interaction? The goal is to have both parties honor the arrangement and we must work towards this aspect. In my travels I have been to markets where haggling for a price became part of gaining respect in the culture and even though I could pay the top price without much problem, it seemed it was actually more respectful to negotiate and establish a relationship. These types of experiences show us that it is not the money per se, or the system, but it is the integrity between the parties. As Cornelius has brought up here something has been lost in relationship to supporting musicians & artists...I would also say small farms, slow food, main street shops, small businesses, local bookstores...basically anything small or humble. The loudest player gets the pay out. Get big or get out. I do think we are finally beginning to listen more to what really matters ...
I'm going to ramble, so forgive me. Yes, to be small or humble is not a winning ticket these days, and a tough choice if you weren't born with the proverbial silver spoon in your mouth. To make music or be a maker of anything and pay the bills, it seems you have to get big, which means you must be ambitious. That's why I'm glad to see the word humble in Julian's post. The author who isn't on social media, constantly pushing their book, better have a lucrative day job. I think of the poet Rilke in his Letters to a Young Poet saying that the best reason to write is because you have to write. Rilke had enough privilege so that he could follow his heart. Most musicians, writers, artists have to be pushy to succeed, to acquire fame and fortune through their art. It's a path that does not encourage us to be modest and respectful. So as a culture we may not only be deprived of the art of the humble, but we encourage pride, forcefulness, aggrandizement. The path of an artist who does not have a great emotional/ego need to have their art recognized by thousands of followers is discouraged. To me, this is a higher path. If you're a humble or modest person with a less hungry ego, you are out of luck. Right you are, Julian.
Collectively we can of course change the story. Celebrate art. Support simple living. Build supportive infrastructure such as affordable housing, community foraging….
Yes. The beautiful world our hearts know is possible.
I grew up in London after WW2 and this is how it was. Thank you for reminding me Charles. Margi.
I appreciate the reminder. I am troubled by the professionalization of intimacy. It has gotten to the point that holding space for friends as they share their trauma and pain is considered irresponsible if one does not have a degree and certification.
I have been trying to find a space for an addiction support group that is attempting to integrate what works about the 12 steps with a social and trauma-based understanding of addiction, but because I'm not a credentialed therapist, well-meaning people fear that it is too dangerous to discuss the relationship between trauma and addiction without a professional there.
The idea of people coming together to find trust and intimacy and explore their pain and common bondage to oppressive systems is scandalous. It is a sign of how completely capital has stripped away the cultural commons.
I don't have a group like that to name, but maybe you want to check out the podcast Fucking Cancelled. The hosts Jay and Clementine talk extensively exactly about the convergence of 12 steps and trauma, as they've got experience with both. Although the podcast itself is about cancel culture and what might be the root of it.... Maybe they can also point you in the direction of people who are interested in the same, or maybe their audience can.
I find the best way is to keep quietly persisting and trusting that the way will be cleared. Mostly opposition is about fear in some guise but forging ahead regardless often makes it evaporate. The emperor has no clothes.
I'd love to be on that podcast!
Great podcast tip, thanks. Right up my alley.
Thanks, I'll check it out!
Check out this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/mDLsHK3SN2o. This guy is doing healing and addiction recovery as a gift. Amazing! Beautiful story. He gives his Instagram and email at the end of the video.
Inspiring, thank you. I'll definitely try to get in touch with him.
In the ancient times of 1988, at the Third No. American Bioregional Congress, the Economics Committee, which was my thing back then (Gaian Economics, creating an economy for the living Earth), crafted the most beautiful vision statement that was adopted by formal consensus. Reading it out loud (with All Species present, thanks to the magic of David Abram who coordinated the All Species committee) was one of the most moving experiences! Here is what we came up with:
A bioregional economy manifests itself through qualities of gift, trust, and compassion. Bioregional economics is a tool for implementing a social agenda informed by relationships, interdependence, and diversity; and is sensitive to the scale of the Earth’s systems. Bioregional economics distributes the gifts of Earth to sustain the health and richness of the biosphere in which we live and through which human needs are fulfilled. Decision-making is based on principles of local, democratic self-control and, secondarily, through mutually friendly, cooperative and compassionate relationships between and among individuals, groups, communities, bioregions, federations, and all species. A bioregional economics is expressive of a universe of beings evolving and working harmoniously toward the fulfillment of our individual destinies and our common future. A bioregional economy reflects the oneness of all life.
Sustainability of the bioregion is the hallmark of the bioregional economy. The following principles characterize the quality of action in a bioregional economy.
1. Balance between individual freedom, social equity, and responsibility to the web of life.
2. Respect for the Earth community and responsibility to the future as a context for local, decentralized control.
3. Equitable access to the gifts of Earth.
4. Respect for individual freedom within community.
5. Attention to scale in relation to ecology, economy, and decentralization.
6. Friendly and cooperative economic relationships.
7. Ecologically prudent design, production and distribution of durable goods (minimize waste).
8. To engage in the exchange of goods and services by relying less upon taking as much as possible for the smallest possible payment, and to rely more upon giving as much as one is able to and trusting the the gift is returned as others are able.
Then were were several strategies to get from here to there, which are in my book, Economics as if the Earth Really Mattered.
This is a very ideal vision, I am aware. Yet the models to create it do exist - various forms of community currency (both physical, paper currency or networks of exchange, that can facilitate wider exchanges. I helped co-create a community currency project in the early 1990s (it was a physical currency based on Ithaca Hours (the most 'famous' community currency started by Paul Glover). We even got some stores to accept it for a % of purchases. This was in Montpelier, VT. Today, the Schumacher Center for a New Economics in Great Barrington, MA is an excellent source of information, as well as an amazing library (on line for some things but at the Center itself) for pretty much anything ever written on community economics, land trusts, CSA, community currency, and so on. We know what we need to do. We have many of the tools we need. What we are lacking is . . . what? What keeps us stuck? (I know there are many answers to that question).
What keeps us stuck? Interesting question. I can think of many many answers - none of which is definitively THE answer. I think it is a ‘death by a thousand cuts’ situation. Systems (formal and informal) build up over time - rules, laws, norms, etc. Kinda like arterial hardening chokes off blood flow, cultures & societies get hardened into ways of doing things that become very resistant to change. Sometimes - some break free and find ways to operate in the margins. But changing the systems, rules, norms - is either glacially slow until a tipping point is reached, or violently fast. Most do not want to commit or experience violent change (I don’t) and so you just do what it takes to get by in the existing conditions while lamenting that things are what they are. Not a great answer but how I see it. So then the question becomes - am *I* really motivated to DO something to make a change? If so - all I can do is ‘act locally’ to impact in a positive way my immediate situation & circle of influence. Accept that with humility & trust that The Universe (God) will sort it all out.
A dear friend homesteaded, worked as a midwife and environmental protector and intimately connected directly to the locals in Costa Rica for over twenty years. She has alot to say about the many reasons Costa Rica is the way it is. Costa Rica has no standing military. It has around 26 different political parties all vying for votes. She tells me that few in Costa Rica actually follow the rules or listen to the government. They smile and nod and go their own way. Which is very frustrating when you want to get something done, but means there is much less stress in the culture as they just throw up their hands with complex problems and say God will have to take care of it and then move on. Costa Ricans are almost exclusively family oriented and grow much of their own food and live in tightknit communities. Food is abundant in a rainforest environment and they are good farmers. This makes them incredibly independent even when quite monetarily poor. The western powers have done far less explotiation and political machinations in Costa Rica compared with nearby countries such as Nicaragua etc.
On the darker side, there is alot of property theft, expecially stealing from gringos. As a woman alone, my friend had to chase bad dudes from her property more than once. ( She is truly an amazon and used her machete to threaten invaders with. Apparently pretty soon word went around not to mess with her!) My friend still has property down there, but got stuck in the US during Covid. She went back for awhile, even tho she is unvaxed and the Costa Rican government was officially requiring vaccination;
but because they are so lacksidasical there in many ways, she got back in. My friend is aging and homesteading the jungle requires alot of work. Plus her family is here in the states, so it seems less and less likely she will move back there. If I were in better health myself, I would be sorely tempted to move down there with her! Even tho I have never been there, she speaks so fondly and longingly of her Costa Rican jungle homestead that I wish very much I could go.
I am here in CR now! Loved this story. I have been thinking about coming here annually. I didn't know about the local culture here but I did notice the energy you & Charles both described. I am completely open to exchanges. I brought my blend of Healthy Hair Tea to exchange with an acupuncturist I met 2 years ago, we arranged it before I left US. I can't wait for this to happen.
She has her treatment table set up on her balcony overlooking an entire bay. It is the most lovely place to receive acupuncture. Even though real estate prices seem astronomical here, in my heart I believe I can manifest what I want...something similar to my friend's situation.
I would love to support you balancing your health so you can come down! If this sounds good, I welcome you to reach out!
Way cool you are in Costa Rica right now! Thank you for your kind offer of support. I have been blessed with abundant herbal remedies and natural supplements so I am good for a long while on that front. It is basically old age/ arthritis etc. affecting me these days. Manageable but not really fixable at this point. Cannot take on the wilderness as I once did and long travel is just too exhausting. However I have a great deal of vicarious appreciation of other's adventures. So wish you well.
Only in Costa Rica: On our drive to a beach on a dusty, unpaved road, we slowly passed a man on horseback texting. No hands on reins, in complete oblivion. I wonder if the horse will go its own way... I really wanted to take a photo but it was too bumpy & dusty.
This is another wonderfully Intelligent article.. thank you..
Yes indeed it is a fact that our society is run by the Black Cavalry of commerce. It Conditions the consciousness of Americans to Monetize all things. Even medical practice..
Up until about one hundred years ago Chinese medicine functioned in a much purer state.. your Chinese doctor received a small monthly stipend to maintain your optimal health.. if you got sick the stipend stopped until the patient regained good health.. so obviously your doctor was motivated to get you back to optimal health asap, this is the opposite of how it functions in todays American Corrupt Sick Care system which has been monetized for about 150 years..
Pharmaceutical Companies are the Antithesis of True Health care systems.. They and their products are just Predator Monetization.. a plague upon Americans and mankind..
I recall not that long ago, the 1980s and even the 90s where my primary care doctor could handle about 90% of my health care needs in the office. My PCP doctor now does almost nothing except dagnostics and then refers me out to a specialist network where it can take several months to get an appointment.
I feel like I'm a piece of meat on an assembly line where the medical industrial complex feeds on me, or on my insurance plan. Of course, they are all practicing defensive medicine, i.e., protecting themselves from lawyers.
And from what I understand, for the most part, it's the health insurance industry and government regulations that pulls the strings of the healthcare industry. Big Pharma and conventional medicine are in cahoots and the insurance industry and government regulators are the overlords.
The medical industrial complex is not about keeping us healthy. There is no money in healthy people. They make their money by managing illness.
Crazy, though, when you think about it. "Care" providers make their money when people get sick and use their services, but the insurance industry makes more money when people don't get sick. And it's the insurance industry/and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid that tells doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies what gets covered under what circumstances. You'd think that there would be more wellness and preventive care. More and more doctors who seem to want to get people well are opting out of the system, meaning they don't take insurance. They often become concierge doctors. The upshot: the wealthy get the better care because they can better afford either the best insurance plans or healthcare outside the system. Same old . . .
Revolving door between the Pharma industry and CDC careerists. We're f*****
In short, we are f****, but more and more people are beginning to see that it is indeed a revolving door for many who work for Big Pharma, then the CDC and FDA, and vice versa. The facts are out there: These government agencies are, in large part, funded by the pharmaceutical monsters. So we have a revolving door for careerists and a situation where each entity scratches the other's back. Too bad Dr. Fauci and others like him are such charmers. Hard to get the truth to fully penetrate their lies.
As a minister's daughter growing up in small towns I sat on the edge of sustainable community where people could have conversations from different points of view and still maintain love and caring for each other. Now, age 67, I can't tell you how many people have stormed away from my life because our views differ. I long for the connection I remember in those small towns. Where I live now is a small community but I've experienced the lying, cheating, and agendas from supposed friends that stems from unhealed personalities who operate from their childhood wounding. It is very sad to me the lack of trust and suspicion that abounds.
Tony Blair gave a talk at the WEF be moaning the lack of digital infrastructure in the world. He meant digital vaccine certificates and the ability to track them, along with other biometrics and using business as the partner to do this. For example, banks and credit card companies.
I am pessimistic about our ability to stop this. It represents the next big thing, monetizing the human being by digital slavery.
RESIST!
Ignore!
I agree! We are moving closer and closer to a world free of human interaction at all.
I really enjoyed this article, Charles. This is a message that I wouldn’t mind if you continued to repeat, over and over. And, healthy human beings are altruistic. It’s part of our nature. Just ask the Dalai Lama!
The Dalai Lama was pushing the death shots. I don’t find him trustworthy at all.
I understand that feeling. But spiritual leaders aren't God. They aren't perfect - and in this whole mess of shots, I am trying not to "throw the baby out with the bathwater." I think if I can hold space for human error, I can still believe in miracles (like Charles article on ravens last week), while still being true to my own beliefs (like not poisoning myself :))
It appears to me that several spiritual leaders, including the Dalai Lama and the Pope, are part of the agenda. Glad you did not take it!
Altruism is explained by evolutionary psychology.
Great insights. Naturally there can be some middle ground too. In a small backwoods community I once described the serial barter of "ducks, trucks, and bucks." Yes, bucks were sometimes included in the exchange. For example, when I had a decent pickup truck to share, I set a per km rate, transparently set to cover costs (fuel, insurance, maintenance). This was a practical solution that achieved truck access to a small circle of neighbors, while sharing real expenses.
Wow. Really thought provoking message.
I think that as more and more people walk away from organized religion, for better or for worse, we begin to let go of an inherently strong 'gift community' or village. I'm sure everyone's experience with organized religion can be very different but I grew up in a church community that would do anything for one another and it was amazing. I've recently had to part ways due to some serious differences in beliefs, but It's been very difficult to give up that community feeling. Yes, those people are still kind to me and would do anything for me but it's not the same now. I'm having to think about ways to build that community again and it's very difficult in today's society. I'm slowly connecting with people with similar values but it's a long slow process and I can tell it's unlikely to end in the same kind of ties that I had in my old religion.
Another thought that I had while reading this was the connection between these ideas and the ideas expressed in the book "Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture". Amazing book that I highly recommend! I had come to many of the same conclusions in this book as I began to really dive into homemaking so reading it was so soothing to my mind. I had realized years ago that my health was failing because I was fully involved in the fast paced "convenience" and materialism society of today. What my family and I really needed was a slower, healthier lifestyle. It required sacrifice and hard work, but the benefits have been more than worth it. My life has been transformed and I am so grateful that I was able to get out of the consumer driven culture. I still do live in that culture, but it doesn't rule over me anymore.
Thank you for these words of wisdom!
Money is perhaps the greatest curse visited on humanity. Yes, we wouldn't have anything like the developed world we enjoy in the 21st century without it. But has it been worth it?
Can humanity disengage from the 'economic' world and learn to live in the 'real' world, the world of grace and freedom, the only world that all other species on this earth have ever known?
Painfully lovely. It is heartbreaking for me to watch the devastation being wrought in the Yucatan of Mexico in just this way, and the rapid breakdown of all of these collective, healthy systems. Thank you for sharing this and giving people a way to turn back towards sacred capital.
It would seem even the Dalai Lama has been commodified :-(
THIS IS EVERYTHING. I have given up my business but still have my own expenses and now just gifting ... what comes back, will. I have faith. And I feel fortunate to even know this is a way.
Thanks for being good for my nervous system, Charles ... YOU are the gift.
Great piece. Thank you for sharing it to free subscribers, and thus embodying your message.