behind the worldbridge project

Spontaneous Vegetation: Urban Homestead

 

urban homestead is a chicago residence that is open to working travelers and out-of-towners for stays of a few days up to two weeks. it fills the niche of people who find themselves in chicago perhaps working on art or research or cultural connections who want to live in an urban immigrant neighborhood in a house that has an ecological emphasis.

urban homestead is an ecological living system that requires the energy of others to keep it alive. those who stay must be interested in living in a way that is resourceful in terms of energy and materiality. the economy of urban homestead is an exchange economy. this exchange could be one of money or of services/labor. some examples of services/labor are: gardening, housecleaning, light carpentry, etc.

 

http://spontaneousvegetation.net/urban-homestead/

 

Worldbridge Music Ideas: Mixtape & Track of the Week

So over the past few days I've been doing some plotting. The only way I am going to be able to get a handle on this project is to break it down into tiny manageable pieces. I'm starting with formulating a Kickstarter proposal to hopefully get: the demonstration garden, the website, equipment for podcasting, and a hand full of other things funded. In researching past Kickstarter projects--the most successful ones, in addition to being fantastic ideas, have had really great prizes/gifts for their donors (one Projector had the savvy idea to post a link to a Flickr album of the prize packages). So needless to say this has me thinking a lot about the prizes I'd like to offer. Two ideas sprang from here:

The Worldbridge Mixtape

Growing up in Cleveland the vast majority of my closest friends were either musicians or artists. I'm utterly thankful to them for my diverse taste, judicious ear, and my deep love of music. Not to mention a distinct love for musicians in general. So I got to thinking--what if I talked to all my musical friends and asked if they would be open to donating a track to a compilation album, which would be a prize for particular levels of donations. In return they get exposure to my donors, and a page in the cd booklet for: a stort bio, member names, contact/booking info, and permanent real-estate in the "web of allies" section of the completed website. I am thinking minimum 10 tracks, max 15. Thus far 4 out of the 4 people I've talked to are definitely interested. So we shall see.

&

The Worldbridge Track of the Week

I don't know about you--but I use music religiously to keep me motivated. Over the past few years I have been collecting songs that really keep me going, as well as capture the essence of where I'm at existentially or psychologically in regard to this project. So every week I'm going to Share one of those songs with you my cherished reader, in hopes that the motivation becomes contagious and helps you get through what your going through and to succeed at what ever challenges you are facing--or at least learn well from the disappointments. 

With that I think the song that truly captures where I'm at right now is "Jump" from Madonna's 2005, "Confessions on a Dance floor." I hope you enjoy and find the energy to keep it movin'.

Enjoy~

 

Wolfram|Alpha

News from the frontline: HeadCount: In The House

Items from the Backlog...

The Backlog is simply a categorization of things that I found before starting this blog. In the interest of spreading knowledge/awareness about the awesome things/events/services/sites that exist out there in web 2.o-land as well as a way for me to not forget about them.

 

www.kickstarter.com

... is an fantastic person-to-project funding site where Projectors post their projects that are in need of funding, market the idea, and offer gifts/awards to their donors according to the amount of their donation. 

www.geniusrocket.com

... is a resource for companies to crowd-source their commissions in needed video, web design, logos, and copywriting services. Many enter, the company chooses what submission(s) they want and to the victor goes the spoils. 

 

Inspiration: PieLab & Project M

While doing some research on Kickstarter.com I stumbled upon a 101% funded Project called PieLab (http://www.pielab.org), a experimental pie shop that has transitioned into downtown eatery in Greensboro, Alabama. PieLab is acting as a hub to for designers from Project M (http://www.projectmlab.com/) to interact with their community and build a list of potential projects that they seek to bring to life with design. 

Brilliant!

<<check out the Video>>

Welcome to the beginning of the Worldbridge Project...

Well in truth... this isn't really the beginning. It has taken some time to get the project to this point. Several years ago before beginning undergrad (Maryland Institute College of Art, BFA in Fine Art) I realized that more than anything I wanted to own & operate an art gallery, cafe & performance venue. But as the years progressed in the shadow of climate crisis, ecological & economic collapse, and growing social unrest, I began to think that just smacking another art gallery into the world just so I could call it my own seemed to be a rather indulgent venture. After some reflection the thought to make this space as sustainable as possible has jettisoned me on a path that I never could have anticipated. 

So what is the Worldbridge Project?

This project is the process that I am employing to found an eco-village & organization with the aim of supporting emerging artists/creatives while simultaneously fostering sustainable culture through organic farming, community out-reach and alternative education. Baring in mind that the destructive way we treat our planet has become a socially accepted systemic-cultural ritual in which we all participate. It is my thought that many of the crises that we are facing can be lessened in intensity, amended, or averted altogether by a swift kick in the proverbial "cultural pants." Therefore, as progenitors of culture the solutions we seek may lie with creatives from many diverse backgrounds. So it's my goal to create a nurturing space for these ideas, experiments, and expressions to take root and flourish--while aiding those involved to deepen their personal connection with nature. 

I surely don't have all of this figured out. But that's what this blog is all about. Figuring out how to make this vision a reality. It's my goal with this blog & this project to establish connections, learn everything I can--in every way I can, and garnering support for this idea from like-minded individuals. So, if you're looking for someone to tout their flawless work ethic and to self-aggrandize every triumph as though it took no failures to get there--you've come to the wrong blog. But if you're truly interested in what it would take for a talented, driven, unique, yet relatable person to take on a seriously large project--stay tuned.

 

This blog will be part personal journal, research dairy, and self-motivational tool in making this goal a reality--where you can expect to see:

 • Inspirational links of all kinds                                                                                                                                                                    • News & Updates                                                                                                                                                                                    • Articles & Resources                                                                                                                                                                                • And much more...

Thanks for checking out Behind the Worldbridge Project... I hope you enjoy what develops...

Thrive well,

Jordan