Jami and I met with Heather Radke at the Hull-House Museum today.  Heather curated the exhibit Unfinished Business: The Right to Play exploring “the history of the social movements that created the first playgrounds, fought for an eight-hour workday and suggested that time off from work could create a more just society.”  Um YEAH?!!  There is also a piece on time banking (created with the help of one of the CTX members, Seneca) and Heather is inviting us & the CTX to collaborate on an event this fall.  Go check this OUT!  Look, there is a swing! And hopscotch!  And even more awesomeness all over that museum.  Seriously.

Since we were in the area, Jami and I headed over to Gallery 400 to check out Nice Work if You Can Get It curated by Lorelei Stewart. “Exploring the legacies of industry, immaterial labor, service work, invisible labor and more, the artists featured in the exhibition articulate a variety of responses to the relationships between labor, economy, and politics.”  The poster behind Jami is an interview with a woman in the fashion industry, part of Our Fashion Year, by The Ladydrawers.  Both Jami and I remarked on the idea of “emotional labor” – needing to make customers feel good in their clothes.  In the other picture, we are standing in front of Mary Lum’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor. Those pieces of white and brown paper are fragments of paper bags with the name of the person who oversaw their production at the factory.  This show is only up through August 9th – and it’s juicy. With teeth.  Check it out if you can.

 

 

Check out this great analysis of the difference between sharing economies and gift economies from Nipun Mehta, the founder of Service Space.

Here’s the link: From Sharing Economy To Gift Ecology | ServiceSpace.org.

I LOVE that he points to gift economy being more of a gift ECOLOGY.  He says, ” Economy reduces value into a few focused dimensions, whereas ecology implies a more intricate interplay of relationships that generate diversified — sometimes immeasurable — value. When we give freely, we naturally build affinities with recipients and over time, create deep ties that form the basis of a gift ecology and a resilient society.”

What are your thoughts on sharing vs gifting?

 

 

Saturday, May 31 – Chicago Dream House: a housing rights event responding to the foreclosure crisis in Albany Park and Chicago.  With the community, Chicago Dream House will paint a symbolic house, while presentations by local organizations happen in the central area.  Skill shares abound: urban gardening, guitar lessons, bike repair, furniture repair, book-binding & making, painting and drawing lessons, yoga, qi gong and more!! CTX is tabling!  Potluck to follow.

Saturday, May 31 – opening for Joshua Kent’s residency “On the Impossibility of a Singular Hand.”  The show runs Mon June 2- Sun Jun 8.  Joshua will live in the gallery and attempt to grow a seed in the palm of his hand. Roman Susan will be open 24-hours a day for the week, and each evening features a response from fellow artists: performances, skill shares, gift circle. See the event schedule here.

Sunday, June 1st – Freedom Flow Fest: community event centered around the alternative currency of abundance, co-presented with CTX and Shareable. This out & indoor event explores the possibilities of cooperation; offering participants tangible, FREE gifts and services:
•Movement Classes
•Creative Arts
• DIY Food & Gardening Demos
• Wellness & Healing

Saturday, June 7 – The Chicago Free Store: Bring what you want to give away and/or take what you like!  It’s all FREE!

Saturday June 7 – opening for the The Swing and the Wall.  This event will run 4 Sundays in June from noon-9pm, reclaiming “creative idleness, pleasurable learning and meaningful exchange, inviting neighbors, friends, artists, children, parents and activists to participate, in both a programmed and drop-in way.”

HOT DAMN!!!  Chicago’s got it going ON!

 

This post is by guest blogger and CTX member Elaine Wagner

Chicago Time Exchange has proved useful and helpful on many levels over this surprising and challenging past year.  Last October, I lost the capacity to drive my car, work at my job, and do many household tasks for two months due to an injury. In order to not burden friends and neighbors excessively during this time, I decided to sometimes ask for help within the CTX community, repaying people with some of my accumulated time dollars, many of which Jami Garton was generous enough to transfer to my account from my previous participation in another Time Bank several years ago.

I was hesitant at first to ask for help from CTX.  Would people respond?  If so, would they be gracious? Would they be resentful?  My CTX experiences during this painful and problematic time were overwhelmingly positive.  People responded out of kindness, generosity, and a sense of shared community with rides to the surgeon in Niles, shopping errands to Whole Foods and other stores, rides to my office in Edgewater, where I was able to catch up with some of my vast backlog of work, help bringing my car to the gas station, picking up mail at the post office, and more.  

Today, I feel thankful to many people for the new kind of community I have experienced with CTX.   And as if all the above were not enough, thanks to CTX, I now have several mended wool sweaters, and another one on the way.

I also have had the opportunity to share some of my skills, such as flower essence work and chi gong instruction with people who were interested in learning from me, and hope to share more skills and give more to CTX in the future.

 

Post by guest blogger and CTX member Maggie M.

When I first heard of CTX I felt incredible gratitude. Who knew that this radical, generous, open-minded tribe was organized in Chicago and available to me! Inspired by the prospect of soulfully expanding my community whilst decreasing my dependence on capitalism, I jumped in and signed up for an account.

However, my initial enthusiasm for CTX got swallowed up by my very busy life, and though I’d signed up with lofty intentions, I did nothing with the account.  I did nothing for so long that when I went to log in the other day I couldn’t recall my password.  Yikes.  I felt as if I’d spent a fortune on shoes I never wore, RSVP’d yes to an event and didn’t go, and begged for a toy I never played with.  But after I got over my embarrassment I realized that I hadn’t hopped on CTX in a while because I doubted I would have something someone wanted, or that I could actually get needs met by a group of strangers.  Lucky for me, I was about to have my mind blown.

I logged on and had tons of Time Dollars to exchange.  I’d been accruing them for doing things that, frankly, I wanted to do anyway, like talking to friends about their stunning, juicy art and setting up for parties and events where I had a blast.  But I never really thought I would use the Time Dollars….until I saw the offer for tickets to “The Space Between Us”–a clever, playful and complex show playing at Links Hall March 28, 29 and 30.  I was stoked and “bought” myself a ticket!  And since I was so Time Rich I got tickets for my friends!  I love that Time Dollars empower me to be generous.  I wanted to snatch up all the tickets because I know the people making it and it’s going to be great, but in my newfound generosity I refrained:  I left tickets for you so you can come out and meet me there!  Get on it!

Now, of course it felt great to “buy” tickets and receive from the CTX, but what could I possibly offer?  I’d earned Time Dollars for collaborating with a friend who was already on CTX, but I didn’t think I’d have anything to offer a total stranger.  I assumed that everything folk needed would be out of my realm of helpability….until I read one, wonderful little word—Kombucha!  Kombucha is a scrumptious, fortifying, mystical, miracle beverage made of fermented sweet tea, and it is one of my very favorite things to talk about, make and drink.  Someone on CTX was requesting help with this seemingly obscure thing of which I have an abundance of supplies, knowledge and enthusiasm!  Wow—this CTX thing is making sense to me now.

Even if you haven’t been active on here in a while, or if you are new to CTX, I urge you to check out the offers and requests of our community!  Folks are asking for all sorts of intriguing things like clothing alterations, help with writing, conversations in Spanish and musical accompaniment.  Folks are also offering wild stuff—theater tickets, book-keeping, music lessons, energy work.  I am so totally impressed with this community and am thrilled that I jumped back in!

Thanks for your patience with me, CTX!  My next adventure is to post an offer and make a request.  Maybe you will do the same?  Asking and offering are simple acts with infinite potential.  Check back soon and I’ll let you know what miracles and alchemy my adventures bring.  Maybe it will be you!

Come join us THIS Sat 3/1 at the Sacred Keepers Sustainability Lab

for a FREE screening of “Urban Roots” at 2pm and Sacred Village Skill Share starting around 430pm

Sacred Keepers Sustainability Lab

4445 South King Drive, 2nd Floor

(Side Entrance on North Parking Lot)

Chicago, Illinois 60653

773.891.1967 or 312.869.9546

ONE EARTH FILM FESTIVAL & Sacred Keepers Present

Urban Roots Documentary & Film Discussion
Saturday, March 1st, 2pm
GET YOUR FREE TICKETS NOW!

Following the Film: Sacred Village Skill Share at 4:3opm

Whether you have skills to share or want to learn something new, you are invited to the Sacred Village Skill Share following the film. Along with the Chicago Time Exchange, we will open the village to a variety of skills rooted in our community of guests. Participants will have the opportunity to join our circle to offer and receive in this sacred economy.

Wondering if you have anything to share?? Well it’s a POTLUCK, so start there with a delicious and healthy (if possible) dish!

Here are some details to help you discover your personal wealth:

Cost: You and some friends (aka Free!)
Bring: BYO non-alcoholic drinks and yummy food to share!
Come ready to Share around these topics:
1) FOOD! (growing, preparing, eating, throwing)
2) Healing
3) Stories
4) Art
5) Music
6) Saving humanity

Some of our friends will there to kick off the fun with their magic powers, we’ll let you fill in the rest. Read your freshest poetry! Sing your newest song! Teach us how to tie knots! Share your skills in tarot or astrology! The possibilities are ENDLESS…

You are GUARANTEED to meet one new interesting person, learn one new thing and laugh at least one time, open-mouthed with astonishment and delight.

Questions? Inspirations? Want to help out and get time credits on the Chicago Time Exchange?

Contact Seneca: senecak@gmail.com

Please RSVP NOW on our facebook invite and share with friends!
Sacred Keepers is a Chicago-based non-profit dedicated to teaching youth to inherit the earth through environmental STEM education, sustainable service learning initiatives and youth-driven social philanthropy.
The Chicago Time Exchange is working to strengthen and build existing community and organization networks through the power of time banking! Come learn, share and experience the benefits of alternative local economies with us!