I am accepting contributions in the form of money for Blue Like Water. I’ll paint the picture like this: Imagine me as a street artist of sorts and this blog, a cozy street corner in the city where I share my art. It’s open to the public and for all to consume.
I have been feeling around Blue Like Water and deciding where I want it to go next. Mostly, I make it up as I go and write about what feels good and right. I write for the fun of it, for exploring art, words, and rhythm, for channeling God and connecting to people, and of course, for sharing something beautiful and perhaps eye/mind/heart opening for the reader. But of course, it’s not up to me to decide how anyone feels when reading a post here. But sharing is important.
Writing is a medium through which I connect to God, allowing me space to slow down and see and feel the world with clarity. So when I take the time to write, I’m connecting to something greater than myself. We all have that thing (or things) that connects us in this way. What mediums do this for you?
Because of the power, peace, and wisdom, I experience through writing, sharing these words are essential. I’m grateful that I have this space, that I created it, and that I get to help nourish it. It feels different than email, Instagram, and snail mail. It’s its own thing, moves at its own pace, and has a life all its own.
Blue Like Water began as a space to write about health matter-of-factly, including anecdotes from my journey. In a way, I continue to do this, but I’ve made space for it to be more expansive. Because, after all, there is no separation between life and health. It’s all the same thing. Now I allow space to write about life in any capacity because that alone can serve as medicine.
So I write what feels right at the moment and what channels through me, what needs to be said, addressed, pointed out, talked about, highlighted, even down to a raindrop or a tree branch, even down to a lesson learned through hardship, humor, or observation. It can be anything, but this is a place to express and share my heart.
I’d love to open up this space for others to write and express themselves because there is something powerful about publishing a piece of writing, even on a blog. Whenever I push the “publish” button permitting myself to go live with a post, I’m like, “We’re published, baby!” And it feels incredible. If you have thought about starting a blog, and it feels aligned for you, I encourage you to do so. It can be freeing. Or maybe one day you’ll write and post something here?
It wasn’t long ago that I thought I didn’t deserve to have a pen and write anything that others would read. I believed that everyone else deserved to make art but not me.
I know I’m not the only one who has felt this way.
1-Because I talk with people, and they share similar feelings with me.
2-Because any feeling we have has been experienced before. Nothing is isolated.
3-I worked my way through THE ARTISTS WAY, and Julia Cameron has worked with so many people who are blocked when it comes to the arts. She has shared many-a anecdotes that align with this belief that the arts are for “others.” I trust her words.
Anyway, now I’m out here writing and sharing, and I hope you get something from it. I hope it helps you to feel inspired, connected, loved, open, optimistic, aware, honest, alive, bright, true, or whatever other feeling flows through you.
So, after much contemplation and feeling around, I’ve concluded that BLUE LIKE WATER needs to remain alive on the internet and available to the world. This much I know.
I play around with affiliate marketing and will continue to do so. As you can see above, I linked THE ARTISTS WAY by Julia Cameron. For those who purchase through my affiliate link, I will receive a small amount of $$ as long as the purchase qualifies through Amazon.
Maybe one day I’ll create a Patreon or transition over to Substack or create a paid newsletter, but for now, I want to play around with this approach of donations. At least for this blog and at least right now.
And so I am asking for donations from readers like you. Donations in the name of writing, in the name of art, and in the name of sharing and serving people (like you).
If and when you feel inspired to donate and fuel this writing, I will receive your donations with gratitude and an open heart. There is no donation too small or too large, and all donations will support the expansion of this writing and this space.
I see it as street art. You’re walking down the street, and you bump into someone wailing on the saxophone or playing the violin, and you stop in your tracks and admire the music. It lifts you up or causes you to think, or heals you a bit, and you toss the artist some change, a dollar, five or twenty, or whatever you feel called to give in the name of art. You thank them for lighting up your day and life and for sharing this medicine. Art is medicine, after all. Of course, we know this.
So, that’s the approach I want here in this space. At least to play around with it.
I am attaching my Venmo and PayPal below, now and moving forward, and accepting/receiving money from anyone willing to help fund this art and space.
I sincerely love to write here, share God and myself here, reflect on the world, and offer wisdom here. I’ll write a book one day, but this blog is its own thing. Available to all. Open for the world. Full of juicy goodness to learn from and feel from.
More of this, please. I invite you to do the same because the world craves more art however you go about it.
I am deeply grateful for anything you can give to fuel and fund this writing and medicine.
Thank you, Thank you, thank you.
All my love.
Allison
