How Does the Online Idea Party Work?
You have a dream or a wish, and an obstacle to getting there. (If you don’t think you know your wish, work through my kick-starter and read this post. To learn why you must put logic aside to find your dream, read the following.)
The online Idea Party is here to help you – and the other fellow party goers – with your wishes and obstacles.
Voices from Success Teams and Idea Parties:
Having a team to report to and hearing what everybody did each week is very exciting. It’s kept me moving all year. In the past I made some good starts on my own, but found, every time, when the energy ran out, I ran out. Now it doesn’t run out.
Jade G.
Children’s Playroom Therapist, New York Hospital
I would do a painting a year, a sketch a year. If it was only me I know I would never do it. Having to tell you makes all the difference. It’s crazy why I didn’t do this years ago, it’s so easy all of a sudden.
Caroline R. Personnel Executive, Macy’s Dept Store
Post Your Wish and Your Obstacle Here!
And help your team mates out when you can. Use the Reply link to help, the form below the comments to add your own Wish and Obstacle.
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OK, here goes! First I am going to put forth a “dream” that needs immediate action. What action to take is my dilemma: I have been awarded a full scholarship to a women’s conference in a couple of months. My “Obstacle” is bringing together or manifesting the money for the plane ticket across the country, for one meal a day while there, for shuttle to & from airport/conference, and renting an electric scooter because I have a bit of trouble walking and their walkways are dirt and sand paths. I need to purchase the airline ticket ASAP
I really thought my four children would split the costs and assist me, but they have all said they are unable and unwilling to help for “just a spiritual conference”. I am really bummed, so now I am looking at crowdfunding or trying to get a small loan at my credit union.
DOES ANYONE HAVE DIRECT EXPERIENCE WITH THE PROCESS OF CROWDFUNDING? Are their some CF companies that are better than others? I need about $1200 and am wondering if CF companies even deal with that small an amount??? Please share info and educate me if you have experience or good, reliable hearsay. THANKS!
Krystalargo de Lindachrist aka Linda Sue Plant Powers
KRYSTALARGO
Krystal,
I have found that I can get plane ticket prices down if I go through a site (like Expedia), and then don’t buy the ticket right away. The next thing you know, they are sending emails with lower fares. You have to be diligent about checking, and sometimes I really just opt not to go, but other times the fare is cut in half of what I was offered before.
Also, Hanging Out crew did a crowd funding for me years ago on Indiegogo. There are some crowdfunding experiences where you give up a percentage if you don’t make the goal, but you get to keep the rest. I think that is what they did for me. The goal wasn’t met, but the over $400 sure helped me to be able to fund my canine hydrotherapy course! It is definately worth a try! I have heard good things about “Go Fund Me”, too.
Do you have a friend that has airline miles that could help out?
Good luck on your endeavors! I hope you get to go on the trip!!!
Hi all! Here’s my wish and my obstacle …
My longterm WISH:
to co-create a thriving city-based non-profit business that’s more a HOW than a WHAT … Our HOW is that we work together in participative ways to facilitate civil discourse and collaboration city-wide and provide a legal structure that allows creative projects to be internally crowd-sourced (that’s what happens to what otherwise would be “profit”). I’m a botanist who’s left academia 15 years ago after 30 years and the last 15 I’m more focused on being a participative facilitator.
Our role model is Enspiral, a New Zealand-based collaborative company.
Update – a lot of energy is moving right now. Young people are showing up and speaking about “Studio Tainan” in a new way — as if it’s already alive, which to me means it is.
So my NEXT STEP WISH is: to initiate a regular series of city conversations on ‘hot topics.’
My obstacle: My role confusion.
I’m used to being the facilitator, one who is neutral.
But what’s actually happening is that I’m the one with the urge for this to happen, so I’m more like sponsor.
But I have no funds. Here my thinking gets chaotic, so I’ll stop here! Thanks in advance for the attention you are giving this. Honestly, just knowing you’ll read and care is a boost to me writing, so truly, thanks!
You might want to look closely at The Village Square, a non-profit foundation in Tallahassee, FL, that undertakes _exactly_ the kind of mission that you’re talking about. They are flat-out awesome!
tlh.villagesquare.us
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Wish: I want to go back to school and study law.
Obstacle: Lack of funds. I just had my first son, I feel wrong working and studying, and I dont really have day care like that for him.
Miriam–
Couple of thoughts:
–“List of Free Online Legal Courses and Classes”
https://study.com/articles/List_of_Free_Online_Legal_Courses_and_Classes.html
These would at least get you started.
–How about starting as a paralegal? Then transitioning to becoming a lawyer.
DuckDuckGo search on
“paralegal certificate programs online free”.
https://duckduckgo.com/html?q=paralegal%20certificate%20programs%20online%20free
There are also programs that aren’t free, but you might be able to get financial aid. Just make sure that any program you might pay for is accredited, and would be recognized in where you live.
And here are “paralegal professional organizations”:
https://duckduckgo.com/html?q=paralegal%20professional%20organizations
Best of luck and wisdom to you :)!
Wow. I will definitely look into that!thank you!
You could look into grants or do a crowd-funder for helping women with young children get back into work. A child-minder/nanny could shadow you when you’re at your place of study so your baby is nearby for feeds and cuddles. I was in the same situation at the beginning of this year and with enough persistence I managed to do the business course I wanted and have my baby looked after nearby so I could breastfeed him, cuddle him and keep that important connection with him.
Keep your mind open to different ways the journey to your dream could look. The comments so far about starting as a para are good advice. As long as you’re going in the right direction there’s no huge rush. Enjoy your bubba cos they grow up really fast!!!
Xx
I am trying to overcome my reluctance to call people about job openings instead of going the easy (and unsuccessful) route of applying online. I have to really push myself to reach out to other people.
Do you mean cold calling for job openings?
What helps is keeping in mind that you ask the other person on the line to help you. Most people want to be helpful. Simply ask: Can you help me? I am looking for a job as _______ Do you know who I should speak to?
Applying for a job is not really applying for the job. It is in fact applying for the *conversation* about the job. If you approach it like that, less is on stake. Hope that helps.
Find people who select candidates and ask what they like and don’t like in cover letters. What makes letters end of on the “NO” pile? What on the MAYBE and which ones on the YES pile?
When I got insight in this I changed my covers letters and getting a conversation about the job opening became easy.
Comments are once again welcome here, unless they are spammy.
I am shutting down discussion on the Idea Party for a few days, until I can figure out why so many spam messages are slipping through our filters. I apologize for the interruption, but I don’t want you getting these awful comments in your inboxes.
I want to start a high-quality pay-what you can school. Everyone should have access to a high-quality education. This can also be a suppliment to traditional or homeschooling, since classes are based on the concept of short-iteration cycles. each workshop can be taken independently to gain confidence in a subject, or as part of a longer course for credit. All ages are welcome in all classes, depending on conceptual understanding rather than age. We will teach academics, hobbies, and just fun stuff, all in a way that is designed to use and encourage natural human curiosity.
But I want to pay my teachers.
I have a space, but I have no time and no money.
And I need to start this school year so that my oldest can start school.
Right now I am making things to sell to support it, and taking donations. After I have a track record I can apply for grants, but first I have to build the track record.
And I need to find a way to convince my soon-to-be-ex-husband that it is a better option than public school for our kids, even though him blocking progress is why I have not been able to make a go of this until now.
I am co founder of a school (Dutch school in Canada). We started with volunteers, then we met a certified teacher asked a small fee (it was also only 2 hours a week). We grew the school and this year we opened a full time position.
If you want a pay-what-you-can school start getting in students (parents) that *can* pay and set it up in a way that for every x amount of students you let in one subsidized one.
I don’t know the “I have no time” excuse because founding a school is really time consuming. The money part is easier to deal with.
Or start by getting donations to pay for teachers, school supplies, location and everything else (details)
Hi Kiera, What a great idea. I’ve seen some interesting public school ‘plus’ experiences, out of Santa Cruz, CA. My own daughter, who is 29 now, a senior designer at Studio SC in Seattle, is one of many empowered leaders who attended AFE – Alternative Family Education, in Santa Cruz. You can find online. It was founded by one of the teachers still there – Jasmin. What a hoot. There are about 9 teachers. They act as consultants and meet with the children every three weeks to guide them. They also are networked into the school system, so say a kid really wants to be in a play – maybe they can get involved in another school doing a play, things like that. Also, each teacher teaches two classes. Some teachers teach the same thing all the time, some pay attention to where the children are and teach what the children are ready for or needing. There is a resource center with an administrator and where the teachers meet with kids and a library so a place for the kids to go, but also, the kids are at people’s houses, out in the community. Also, parents teach classes. So do community members – who are vetted. So, for example, there may be an improv person in town who runs classes for AFE students. The school district loves the program because it’s usual gets more in state funding than it uses, so that money gets distributed to other programs. AFE publishes a newsletter every month with a listing of classes and more. The kids also move toward community college. I’m not even sure why we have high school, community college is so much more effective. Some kids starting going at 9! Most wait til about 14 or so. Another charter school in town is kinda intense and weird but they do get public funding and then families who can will pay some tuition. I am a specialist in human and group development, and what works about this – and Montessori style education is that innate motivation – look at what your children do now – is based in autonomy, relatedness and connectedness. So a child being able to have choice strengthens their desire to learn. When we offer extrinsic motivators, it strengthens the reward center of the brain – lower ordered and the source of addiction, consumerism – it isn’t working. It works to have a goal – like wanting to get a degree or become and astronaut – that’s different than getting an A. Direct learning is the easiest way to learn – learning through experience. Indirect learning – someone standing in front of the room and students listening – is the hardest way to learn. Okay, children are emotional and concrete operators until puberty – abstract concepts are than capable. Want to know why asian language people are better at math? Their language is older and more concrete, while our modern language has embraced abstract modern world. For example: we say twenty. Older asian languages – they are saying stuff like 10 x 2 or 10+10 – so their strength is that they are always doing math tables! The basics count! Same with spelling. Anyway, I’m super excited for you. Marian Wright Edelman’s recipe for healthy human development has five ingredients. 1. generate a safe base through caring relationships that result in a sense of belonging. Build skills in all four domains of development (emotional, physical, mental and social). Provide clear and high expectations that are relatable and attainable. 4. Ensure meaningful participation. 4. Offer opportunities to be involved in the community.
Let’s ignite a peer based, volunteer driven, prosocial, macro level, community and resiliency building movement – by taking a cherished, evidenced based, concrete harm reduction system utilized by San Francisco State, called Critical Reflection, and spread it through coffee shops, libraries, pubs, wherever and everywhere 5 to 10 people can gather fro an hour or two a week.
I want to be a part of a team who is saving the world, but I have no idea how to start the process. Ideas I’ve had possibly include working with corporations to cut their emissions and save money at the same time. Or with sustainable farming… Something like that, of completely unlike those options that I haven’t even thought of. I’m an English teacher at this time with ten years of special education experience as well. Business degree and principal’s license. Thanks!!
Hi Kristin,
You are not alone. The first step to starting something from nothing in organizational development is team building and also building the character of the team. I see you have business experience, administrative experience and are currently an English Teacher. I helped build the retail end of the organic food movement, a community builder and became a specialist in human and group development. I see an overlap! Anyway, not long ago, in my eternal quest for learning, I spent two years at San Francisco State. They had this community and resiliency building practice that was part of the humanities department, considered and English class, because it built the skill of critical thinking and self reflection, using a student run community service learning practice wrapped around peer based critical reflection support groups. I propose this is how we start. We ignite a peer based, volunteer driven, prosocial, macro level community and resiliency building movement by taking San Francisco State’s evidence based critical reflection practice and spreading it through coffee shops and anywhere five to ten can gather for an hour or two once a week. The practice embodies Marian Wright Edelman’s Recipe for Healthy Human Development: it generates a safe base, builds skills, provides clear and high expectations that are relatable and attainable, meaningful participation and community involvement – by simply using five prompts of getting present and reflecting – like a mental and socioemotional yoga exercise, that everyone uses, aging around the circle, one prompt at a time, to reflect on one meaningful event in their act of service and goal setting from the week before – hence a support group that also builds the foundation for critical thinking – deliberate thinking, and shifts folks into a growth mindset, because by listening to each other, we broaden our world views and learn to just, you know, objectively observe our own and others subjective experience. It’s so much fun, I am confident we can spread it using social currency alone.
Hi Kristin and Chris – I’m in! on you saving the world team (see, Kristin, it can be this easy!). It’s about time I refresh my dream/obstacle thread. But briefly I’m focused on my city here in south Taiwan. I want to make it easy(ier) for folks to connect around shared passions that are focused on building the commons here … more connections and healthier environment … personal, physical and social. My news is that I’m just now bringing my ‘scanner’ interests into focus around the concept of “compost – the alpha and omega … the beginning and the end.” I’m a botanist and encouraging community compost by providing expert assistance has shown up as ‘low hanging fruit.’ here.
@Chris Quinn .. I appreciate the solid grounded (experienced) words you shared, and the 5-step model.
@kristin where are you now with this? I see your English teaching background and wonder if you feel like a stint in Taiwan “teaching English” as part of the interweavings necessary for saving the planet, one project, one conversation, one person at a time (is my thought). Jane
Hi Kristin, Chris and Jane,
we have had a Philosophers’ Café here in Gmunden, Austria for about 15 years now (role model Faculty of Philosophy in Vienna, Café Korb) which is public and free and where we discuss all kinds of topics monthly. An internet platform accompanies it. It’s great and broadens the mind.
All the best
Christina