People understand I'm an artist... but what exactly is it I do? I do it all! Seriously, it's probably why I'm sick. I worked myself into a frazzle. Cause I kinda am a “want to do it all” kinda person.

Which makes me what they call “stack-able” these days.

Instead of going to art college: I decided I'd just go get the entry level job that taught me about “Art” in the practical world. For example: I wanted to learn more about print because they hired graphic artist. So, out of high school I got a part time job at the local newspaper, in the in lower in house print shop as an assistant. I quickly got bored with making note pads an envelopes. The pay was awful. An found out the pay for the graphic artist was not much better, an left.

But in my early years, this is how I took art “classes”.

I just go get the entry level jobs an learn about it that way instead of paying for classes I couldn't afford. I decided I'd learn more that way. At the time, retail management jobs paid better an that's the route I went. I took one accounting class, an just focused on business as a career. It was a secondary interest I had. An I enjoyed it. I felt being in management was more stable then being an artist. I loved interacting with people & learning a new business model. I worked in taverns, restaurants an gas stations. I helped open new ones. I cleaned up old ones. I loved accounting, inventory, P&Ls, auditing an learning all about marketing in a practical sense. I loved the first of the month, rolling out new ad campaigns all the nitty gritty details of operating a business.

Up until 21 years ago, I just focused on my retail management business career & did traditional art “on the side” because I found there was an art to business too. Then I had kids lol an had to balance business, art an them. Then the internet happened an I couldn't help myself: Suddenly you could learn things they didn't even teach in colleges yet. I spent my free time teaching myself html, programming an how to draw on computers. I invested my time in developing a website. I learned all about how the to make the internet works I didn't spend my time just socializing on it like most.

To me, the internet was going to be HUGE. It was going to change the way people did business AND I was going to be able to do ART & business for a living. So I finally knew what I wanted to return to college. Before that I had just took the basic classes to get them out of the way. I just did not see the point of investing tons of money into a college degree when I could go out in the real world an learn it from the ground up hands on. But, this time was different: I had a vision in my head of what the internet would become. An it's here.

An there is more yet to come.

So about ten years ago, I decided I needed an to finally put an traditional art portfolio together an focus on art instead of my practice site: Mommysbiz for Daycare Providers & Parents. So what exactly am I?

I'm a Artist with a business management background an internet technology geek that does photography for a living while working on traditional art in her spare time.

LOL Hey, when your idol is Leonardo Da Vinci...

Your going to get into a lot of things. But it's turning out that taking the long way around to actually getting some art done is paying off. I can teach business how to market themselves correctly on here. I can teach artist and photographers how to treat their art like a business so they can actually support themselves doing it. Who would have thunk it?

Business Art & the internet is my mix.

What seems like a weird combination for me to learn turns out to be exactly what is needed in today's world. Because I see, really good artist struggling to sell. I see brick an mortar business still not using the internet correctly. Loosing out. But I don't want to be one of those “fly by nite guru's” on here. Most of them get on my nerves. They've all got it figured out an going to teach you in 20 minutes how to get rich on the internet. It doesn't happen that way folks.

It's complicated.

Yet you've got to keep it as simple as you possibly can or you will never get any artwork done. Nor make any sales online or off. An today's businesses an artist need to be in both worlds. An artist has to be both, an if you don't understand this: Then your a hobbyist an most of what I have to say or teach isn't going to be of much value to you. If your serious about being a successful artist, I will walk you through what you need to do on the internet. Business can learn from it as well. An we can get into specific businesses later: like photography.

Don't get your hopes up.

I won't sit here an mislead anyone it's NOT easy to do. It's very a competitive market even when you do not add artist to what it is you do. An you have to do more then a regular business on here to make it. But if your interested in the long haul, an leaving a legacy. I can walk you through what I do. I will go into details in with follow up writings. An I'll probably stick it all in a book later or something. I just want other artist to understand this is a long haul game.

It's not going to give you income quickly.

An only while art sales on the internet have gone up 40%, only 1% of artist are actually selling anything. It's why I'm not fond of the most of the internet gurus. They are making a living telling you it's easy when it's not. It's hard for a regular business to do this correctly to increase their sales but if it's done right you will. It's not an over nite thing. It's long term approach to having residual income an you will sell long after you are gone. You won't see results over nite from it. Think of being on the internet like a faucet, that leaks. It trickles at first, then eventually it gets turn on an pours.

An I can't promise you will.

An here's why: Not all artist are good. An I don't say that to discourage anyone. It's just a fact. We all aren't but what might not look good as a painting: might just look great on a piece of clothing. Or a coffee mug. An you get better at something with time. You could be loosey today, an be the best at something ten years from now with practice. Discipline. An that is what my approach to art, business & internet is about.

I didn't get good at anyone of them without putting in the work. So you have to be willing to do it daily. Or at least five days a week. Several times a day, depending on what your doing. My approach works, although I haven't been doing it as much being ill. So here's the run down:

You have to have art / product / service. It has to be good.

You need a website. Content is King. Your Art: Product or Service Write / Blog Do Photos Make Videos Voice / Podcast / Livestreams You have to have a portfolio of your work on it. It has to be updated regularly: Daily, Weekly, Monthly It has to have meta tags researched & Keyworded. You want to be found by search engines. It has to be simple to navigate & user friendly. It has to be eye appealing on the internet, tv & phone Example my Traditional Art Portfolio contains:

Fractal Art
Acrylic
Charcoal
Colored Pencil
Pours
Murals
Oil Pastels
Pen & Ink
Poems
Tattoo Designs
Watercolor

I work on it regularly. It expands me as an artist & shows what I can do. An I use it for content. I have probably over 350 pieces of work. It shows my progression as an artist as well. I can offer the orginals for sell right off my website. But I design as well an I do photography for a living. I have a portfolio of each as well. One for my clients to look up their session an order from. Book a session with me or for new clients to see they kind of portrait photography I do. An since I am a photographer, I have Specialty Art as well that's not of everyday clients. I add to that regularly, again creating more content. More stuff to be found by internet search engines: to get “my name” out there. Some of it simply gets used by other artist designing themselves. So I have a portfolio of clients others can see of my work. Plus a photography portfolio of:

Auto & Gas
Animals
Bands
Churches
Citys
Conceptual
Country
Dramatic
Emotive
Flowers
Garden
Holidays
Macabra
Musical Instruments
Park & Perserves
Quotes
Statues & Ornates
Social
Skys
Surreal
Tavern
Things
Word Art

I keep up with all these things on top of doing regular sells in portrait photography. You have to have real world sales! At minimum as a photographer I set the lowest goal of the day at 3-4 sessions when I worked full time. In season its 15-40 sessions a day depending on your location. Now that I'm ill & semi retired: I still do 3-4 sessions a couple times a week to keep honing my skills. I can't stress enough that you have to have real world sales an the ability to sell face to face. Either by setting up a location or studio to work out of for people to visit & buy. Or by doing art fairs. But this piece isn't about “real world” brick an mortar, which I can get into another time: Having a internet site is just as important as having a real world location. Think of it as the same. It's where people will go to learn & buy from you. An just like in real life you want them to be able to find it.

It's not enough just to have a website. You have to be found in and on search engines.

Ten years ago, many gave up on websites. Everyone had one, but they didn't understand what made one a good one or a bad one. They didn't put in a lot of effort to them an they failed. Or they didn't understand the science to them. If your doing this alone, like I have been all my life with no budget you can build one. It doesn't have to cost you much as long as you understand you have to keep putting content on it. It's like a living breathing thing: Just like someone visiting your studio, store or business. It will help you bring in more business if you invest time or money in to it. Ten years ago, their was about ten directories & search engines you could be found on.

A lot of folks gave up, it wasn't enough of a return on their time or money. Now it's a standard. Just as much as having a brick an mortar location. If you don't have one, your business / art isn't going to be found.

People research stuff before they go shopping.

So it's all the more important. An I could spend days on just talking about websites, an how to do them so you stand out in a crowd but I'm trying to keep this simple. So the average person can understand. Ten years ago, if you could keep yourself in the top ten of search engines, you'd be found. You generated visitors by word of mouth. One website owner, sharing another website owners address. They would all link together in a network or “ring” of sites. There was only one major social platform: AOL . On it you could pay an arm and a leg to advertise your brand. But you couldn't really sell art work that way. An most businesses didn't have that kind of budget. Let alone artist.

Selling for artist got done the same old fashion way: Word of Mouth.

Your buddy would tell their buddy, to check you out. Word of Mouth would spread. Sales still work this way. In real life and on the internet. But now instead of ten search engines, we manly have one people go to. An instead of one expensive social platform we have at least ten I can think of. Not only do you have to do artwork daily, sell regularly in the real world, update your website consistently. You have to be on social media! Businesses need word of mouth! But artist need it even more! You have to communicate to the world, your lifes work. There are at least 11 social platforms you should be on:

Google
Pinterest
Facebook
Youtube
Instagram
LinkIn
Twitter
Tumblr
Lifestream.aol
Podcast

And I'm sure there is more actually, but those are the majors. Some people insist you don't have to do them. An that you don't really have to update them much. An you don't if you can generate enough word of mouth without them in the “real world”. But if your interested in more customers, an getting more world of mouth is a good thing for you: Then you will. I could spend weeks on just this top alone.

Because it's not just about marketing, or becoming famous, how many likes you have or followers. Although those things may or may not come with it: It's about word of mouth: The best and oldest way to get what you do out there. I meet a few new people a couple of months ago. Never spoke to them in my life: but they knew: One I was an artist. Two: I was good. Three: I could do what they needed done. You can't buy word of mouth.

It's free and it's priceless.

Yes there is a right way to market on them an not offend anyone, without paying for ads. Which, I recommend for some an not others. It depends on what your art is. What your service is. Your product. I worked for one of the best studios to work for, CPI. In some of the best locations. An they have decent products, good service, great locations: but they could not beat the word of mouth on the internet. They could not compete with photographers on the internet. Not because they where bad, but because they didn't respond to customers on the internet. They didn't show their work as often as they could. So, great solo photographers grabbed the market because they where on social media. They showed better work & where doing the internet right. An they where getting all the word of mouth.

My studio went up 20K in sales all on word of mouth.

I had people traveling 60-100 miles just to come see me, do a session with me and buy my artwork. When the company was failing as a whole. Why? Because they heard about me.

All because I was good and asked them join me on social media & like my Facebook page. I'd get home from work, post my work of sessions customers gave me permission to an respond to them. The company as a whole didn't do that. They had great service, products an usually better photography but they didn't do that on the internet. An it hurt them enough to bankrupt them. So I can't even begin to tell you how important it is to have word of mouth: not just off line but online.

Now, that's about what it takes to run just a normal business real brick an molter business. The basics of it an I haven't even gone into details. An artist has to do one other thing, as if that isn't enough right?

Artist need to be on as many art sites as they can find. Why?

Your branding your name: Sometimes it's gonna be your name an your name only that sells your artwork. Remember, your wanting to leave a legacy that lives on after you do. That requires you be found as many ways as you possibly can. So search engines pick you up. You'll need to upload a decent copy of your art work on:

Redbubble
Fine Art America / Pixel
ImageKind
Deviant Art
Behance
Aritist.com
Etsy
Sedition
Society6

There are more then that and I recommend you get on as many as you can handle. I started out on ImageKind. To avoid the fees, I just posted my fractal art, a portfolio of the latest. You have to decided what your budget can afford. If you can be on all of them great. If you can't do what you can afford to. Most of the sites I listed are free, or low based. Your work will come up more in Google, generating more hits. An more sales. Don't expect the sales to make you a living. It's more about getting noticed, making a name for yourself and it living on after you do. A legacy. It does create residual income. Even if it's low, it's worth the effort. I personally just keep adding a site to put my artwork on.

I'm all over the place, so I can be found.

It's NOT easy. It's time consuming an only you can decide how much of your time it's worth to do this. My main portfolio of portrait photography is rarely seen. It's made me the most. I'd post it all if I had time to. Or owned all of it still. I myself, am getting away from that. My advice, is start with one of these websites, so you can sell prints & products of your work. Get a idea of how long it takes you. I'm pretty fast at it, so I can usually do a piece of work, post it to ten different sites an update all those social media accounts. Plus pay attention to people on them.

I have make the time to. I make the time.

I do mainly: Traditional Art, Design, Photography an thinking about going into the digital specialty art of photoshop manipulation. Each thing I do goes through this process.

Make the art
Update the website
Post to art sites
Post to social media
Sell the art

Sometimes it's reversed depending on the what kind of art your doing. In photography, it's smarter to sell it to them first, then post to social media. It just depends. But as you can see, I'm working four main things artistically an on about 30 sites to make that 1% of sales artist make on the internet. So when I tell you, it's NOT for the faint of heart.

I'm not lying.

I just mentioned art sites but graphic designers & photographers should be on:

Dreamstock
Shutterstock
Foap
Bigstock
Istock
Fololia

Some use Flickr, Pica an shopify. It depends on what your doing artistically. There's 3DOcean & Envato for designers or more tech savy. Plus freelancer for jobs if you think doing all those aren't keeping you busy enough. My point is, artist who are pretty disciplined about doing artwork to begin with make it. You entertain others with it as you post, creating more word of mouth. That thing, that most artist need to sell. I've been brought up on ImageKind, spotlighted on Redbubble an others told about me helping me out with my photography sales. Even if I didn't sell a lot online, it helped me sell a lot face to face in real life. It helped me get jobs in the arts. So while most artist don't have a marketing team behind them. Let alone a lot of money to throw around:

This is the way you go: Stackable.

It's a computer networking term, the takes one thing and connects it to many. It leaves a big foot print on the internet & in real life: A Legacy. I just have to remember I'm not a computer some days: an human.

Help. Charity. Supporting another an what do those things truly mean? I'm thinking about my grandmother a lot this year an various others that have truly helped me in my life time. My grandmother was big on helping people. She musta had a lot of Virgo in her or something. I'm not exactly ready to write about her. She was a big part of my life, so she's going to come up. She helped me a lot, but I helped her.

When she passed I walked into the bar to my dads girlfriend saying to him, well I'm there for you. With him just looking at me with tears in his eyes: She don't get it.

Was all he'd say. Hoping I could explain it to her. Thing is, I'm not sure I can either without writing a full book just on her, an the topics of help, charity and supporting someone. Many think it was the finical back up an support that is missed about her. While that was nice to know you had someone in your corner if you really need it. That wasn't it. It was the emotional support. The girlfriend was kinda well what am I dog shit? An me & my dad kinda laughed. Well, no of course you aren't. She was just different. An it's hard to explain. The woman had a way of being supportive of you even if she wanted to kick your ass. It's the best way I can put it I think. She was emotionally there for you. Even if she didn't believe in your dream or agree with you on something. She might have wanted to rip her hair out or eyeballs at times but she'd work though it with ya. You never really had to question if she'd be there for ya. She was a rock. You could be all over the place emotionally about something, an she'd get ya though it. She had great listening skills.



Help. Charity. Supporting another an what do those things truly mean? I'm thinking about my grandmother a lot this year an various others that have truly helped me in my life time. My grandmother was big on helping people. She musta had a lot of Virgo in her or something. I'm not exactly ready to write about her. She was a big part of my life, so she's going to come up. She helped me a lot, but I helped her.

When she passed I walked into the bar to my dads girlfriend saying to him, well I'm there for you. With him just looking at me with tears in his eyes: She don't get it.

Was all he'd say. Hoping I could explain it to her. Thing is, I'm not sure I can either without writing a full book just on her, an the topics of help, charity and supporting someone. Many think it was the finical back up an support that is missed about her. While that was nice to know you had someone in your corner if you really need it. That wasn't it. It was the emotional support. The girlfriend was kinda well what am I dog shit? An me & my dad kinda laughed. Well, no of course you aren't. She was just different. An it's hard to explain. The woman had a way of being supportive of you even if she wanted to kick your ass. It's the best way I can put it I think. She was emotionally there for you. Even if she didn't believe in your dream or agree with you on something. She might have wanted to rip her hair out or eyeballs at times but she'd work though it with ya. You never really had to question if she'd be there for ya. She was a rock. You could be all over the place emotionally about something, an she'd get ya though it. She had great listening skills.

An sometimes that's all a person needs: is a sounding board. For the most part you could talk to her about anything. Now, I'm pretty sure she'd put the phone down on the counter an let you ramble at times, or do something else while you went on but she listened. Even if she didn't like a damn thing you where saying. An not a lot of people have that ability: To listen. She'd listen, then usually offer up some sound advice. She had the ability to make someone feel heard. She was really good with children because of it. She was just there for you. I really don't know how else to put it. She was not just there for you with words, but with actions. Her deeds an words matched. You knew you could count on her. Where with others it's questionable. They maybe, they may not.

An everyone needs someone like that in their life. Dependable.

Support isn't always about financial. There is mental & emotional support. An the later is invaluable. Having someone you can truly communicate with all through out your life is a rare find. She is one of the few people I can say was supportive. She was well rounded. She didn't take your shit personally either. If it was your hang up, she knew it an didn't beat ya over the head for having it. She was accepting of who a person was. Even if she didn't like it. She would accept you for who you where an try to help you be the best person you could be. For the most part her support was invaluable. Priceless. It had nothing to do with money. Someone can throw all the money in the world at ya an it not be enough.

But to have someone help you get at the root of why you do whatcha doing, help you be the best version of yourself you cam be an just listen is sometimes all ya need. She was a problem solver. Someone you could bounce things off of. An I guess I learned I needed that kinda of support way more then money. Someone I could communicate with. Someone that could stimulate your brain.

So these are the types of people I've looked for.

The internet was perfect for me:

I could have these types of conversations an interact with others that where more cerebral. Not just nerds per say, but people who I could just have a decent conversation with or tell my problems to. An them me. Social sites use to be set up perfectly for this. I didn't hang out in sex rooms or very places where real conversations weren't happening. I'd hang out in mommy rooms, talk to girlfriends an was around spiritual rooms a lot. I got what I needed out of it: Mental & emotional support. Conversation. Inspiration. Ideas. Encouragement.

I didn't have people around me that where non-supportive.

It was easier to pursue creative outlets. I'd show something I did. They'd give me the merits of it. Good bad critiques etc. I had a support system that worked for me. Even if I didn't know these people in real life, they gave me much needed support to keep learning, growing, improving creatively. They supported my creative endeavors. Much like my grandmother would. They didn't always like everything I did, but I was still encouraged. I could be myself.

Encourage is the key word there.

That is what my grandmother gave all of us my dad was trying to articulate. It means to instill confidence or hope to someone. To cheer, uplift, inspire, motivate, stimulate, promote: hearten. Reassure. Comfort. Pep up. Stir up. Fire up. Understand. Helpful. An it is really helpful to have someone like that in your life: Who goes: You can do it. Just set your mind to it. She said that a lot to me.

Since she's been gone it's been sorely missed.

An I've thought a lot about what support, help and charity really mean. Yes, it's nice to have someone back you up financially but it's that other kinda help people truly need. The kind that doesn't have a price tag attached to it. That is just priceless, given freely with no expectation of return one way or another. It's like having a life coach in your life without the fee. It didn't matter she knew little to nothing about the internet, digital arts or computers. She still was my backbone. An his. An that's what he was trying to convey. To her he was trying to say: You might give me a lot of what she does in way of support: but a backbone is a totally different concept. I can't explain to you how she did it. She just did. An she didn't get the credit she deserved because it's hard to even explain. That was all he was trying to say. I don't get my backbone from you. I get/got that from her. He was saying he lost his because she passed. Most of my life, I've made it point to seek people out that are like that. Supportive. They are like looking for a needle in a haystack. I had those types around me a lot on the internet up until the last few years. They weren't her, like he said but I still got the same kind of nurturing from them.

That's support to me.

Money and material support will come an go, but that kinda of support is so precious that its value cannot be determined. It backs you up in everything you do or want to be. It's worth more. It's intangible. An I know plenty, that really held grudges against grandma cause she was this way. What's the big deal about her anyway? She's just your mother, or your grandma. Your too close to her, ect. She has to much influence on you. Ect. Why? Because she gave something of herself to few others never learn to give. Or can even perceive. It's why so many in her family are successful, even if they don't get it themselves. She instilled a backbone. Confidence. The people I had around me online in social networks gave me a similar kind of support. I never had to fear putting any kind of artwork out there before. My network didn't attack me. It supported me but moving to Facebook was a drastic change for a lot of us.

Suddenly, people out there in real life where connecting An I have to tell you, it hasn't been the same for me since. Mixing internet friends an people in my “real” life was not good for me. My internet friends judged them, an they judged my internet friends. An I finally just got fed up with balancing the two an deleted everyone but my kids. I stopped putting out artwork on the internet. I stopped writing. I stopped a lot of things. I literally uprooted my ass an even went to work in another town just to get away from how non-supportive my “real life” network can be. I went an found me a totally different one at work, surrounding myself with people who where supportive of my creative endeavors.
Who where not associated with either network. Online or off. Very few people in my real life even knew where I was at. Or what I was doing.Suddenly, people out there in real life where connecting An I have to tell you, it hasn't been the same for me since. Mixing internet friends an people in my “real” life was not good for me. My internet friends judged them, an they judged my internet friends. An I finally just got fed up with balancing the two an deleted everyone but my kids. I stopped putting out artwork on the internet. I stopped writing. I stopped a lot of things. I literally uprooted my ass an even went to work in another town just to get away from how non-supportive my “real life” network can be. I went an found me a totally different one at work, surrounding myself with people who where supportive of my creative endeavors.

Who where not associated with either network. Online or off. Very few people in my real life even knew where I was at. Or what I was doing.

An I like it better that way because I don't get non supportive backlash. Or calls judging what I wrote screaming at me to “take it down”. All I would get before was: You might want to check that for typos. Or that was inspiring, or you might want to work on that idea a little more. Or this is how it could be better. Or have you thought about this? You know ENCOURAGEMENT. I didn't get ignored, rejected stalked or threatened. I got honest feedback. I love it. I hate it. Or in that newer network worst that would happen is: Can we do it over? I never got be rated for using my creativity. Or for working on it. An it's sad that one literally has to unplug from something they have been apart of from the very beginnings of because these supposed “real life people” can be so NON-Supportive. I had to go find me another customer base all together because of it. A totally different network: Start completely over from scratch in place where no one knew me or my name just because of it. Not because I was doing anything wrong. Some of these folks that supposedly where helping me: Don't help.An I like it better that way because I don't get non supportive backlash. Or calls judging what I wrote screaming at me to “take it down”. All I would get before was: You might want to check that for typos. Or that was inspiring, or you might want to work on that idea a little more. Or this is how it could be better. Or have you thought about this? You know ENCOURAGEMENT. I didn't get ignored, rejected stalked or threatened. I got honest feedback. I love it. I hate it. Or in that newer network worst that would happen is: Can we do it over? I never got be rated for using my creativity. Or for working on it. An it's sad that one literally has to unplug from something they have been apart of from the very beginnings of because these supposed “real life people” can be so NON-Supportive. I had to go find me another customer base all together because of it. A totally different network: Start completely over from scratch in place where no one knew me or my name just because of it. Not because I was doing anything wrong. Some of these folks that supposedly where helping me: Don't help.

An what's that mean anyway? To help. The dictionary defines it to assist. To give aid. To serve. Make it easier for (someone) to do something by offering one's services or resources. Strangers have helped me more over the years then most of the people in my real life: People that are supposedly close to me. There's usually a no strings kinda of attachment to help. Nothing in it for them either way. That's why my grandmothers help was always helpful. She didn't really get anything out of it other then knowing she was there for someone. The perfect example of help, that I can come up with is this one time I had forgotten to renew my drivers license. A guy I barely knew offered to take me down to the drivers bureau to renew it. He didn't ask for money, or bang over my head he was helping me: He just offered me the ride he knew I needed an was important to my well being and did it. He didn't even need a thank you, but I was thankful an thanked him. It was that simple. I wound up in the same situation few years later, cause I'm a space cadet. It's something I space off.

Anyway, I didn't have other people around me to ask for a favor to do something so minor. I had to ask those “close” to me to take me an it was nothing but this big over blown deal. Guess what? Those “real life” people didn't help. For one reason or another it took over a month for me to get down to renew the thing because they kept saying they would help or where helping. An it was my son, that finally got fed up with all of it that took me. He had to skip school to do it but he helped. An there was a weight on me added to it for needing the “help”. He shouldn't have had to miss his morning classes but no one else “close to us” was going to do it. An it was important. These people would go on an on about how they where “helping me”. An I should be grateful. An this, an that an then you are kinda like: An they wonder why I'm not grateful. Any kind of “help” you get from them is nothing but a emotional pain in the ass. They treat you like their charity case. I don't really know anyone that likes that kind of “help”. Or responds well to that. The man that helped me first time I forgot really gave charity. He asked for nothing in return. An I was grateful for it. The others aren't helpful. They spend too much time going on about what they are doing for you to be helpful. Making someone feel like shit, or less then they are is NOT HELPFUL. I've never known my grandmother to be that way. She never pounded over my head, I'm helping you. She didn't need to. Anymore then that stranger did. An for these kind of people you are grateful.

They inspire you.


In some ways I was my grandmothers charity case: but she was charitable in an emotional way. People think she gave me more financially then she ever really did. She helped me in other ways more then anything. She helped me raise my kids for one. I paid her back financially more then I ever borrowed from her for this exact reason. Her major resource wasn't money, but the investing of time in someone. She didn't treat me like her personal project either. When she gave of her resources be it time, money or what knot it was because she wanted to. An I find it much easier to go get “help” from someone who wants to then someone who doesn't. An the truth is, I've never needed tons of help anyway. I tend to do like she did an help others without making a big deal out of it. I see no reason to toot my own horn about it.

Someone “close” to me said: that's your problem an you always get screwed because of it.

Not really. The resources I might give another are never more then I can afford to give or loose to begin with normally. They are usually intangible. Things you can't really repay even if you wanted to. That's the kind of help I found helpful. Anyone really not interested in helping themselves usually miss the point of mine or her's existence anyway. A resources isn't always material. Or financial. There are other kind of assets to have in this world, you can't put a price tag on: Like a network of people around you who won't or doesn’t sabotage your life. I've done a lot of Charity work in my life, that never involved me spending a dime. Or loosing one. Giving relief to someone in need is Charity. It's philanthropy, humanitarianism, humanity, altruism, public-spiritedness, social conscience, benevolence, beneficence, munificence. It doesn't always involve financial assistance, aid, welfare, relief, financial relief; handouts, gifts, and presents. It can, but it's the spirit in which it is given that makes it true charity or not.

There is a difference between it an someone giving you a loan. Or exchanging resources with you.

True charity expects nothing in return except the knowledge you did something good. It's given in the right spirit. That is it's own reward. It's the desire to promote the welfare of others. It's not just the quality of meaning well, but of kindness doing so. There are plenty of people around who will do things for you meaning well, but they are not always kind going about doing it. Some are just down right cruel when they “help” others.

No, charity is something else:

It's kindheartedness, big-heartedness, goodness,and goodwill towards the ones your doing it for. Not pity or sympathy but empathy. Sensitivity. Warmth. Tenderness. Tolerance & Mercy.

It holds only compassion.

These are the things my grandmother was good at. She was a enabler in the best sort of ways. An the kind of people I prefer to be around.

Truly Supportive.