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Our First Creative of the Month!

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 19:48:35 GMT

This series is dedicated to highlighting and celebrating various creatives on our site. Along with this blog post, each creative gets a whole month of dedicated posts on our Instagram and Facebook pages. Connecting people with creatives in a range of media and backgrounds is the crux of Wind Beneath My Wings. So let’s jump in and meet Morgan W. Richie, our first ever Creative of the Month!

Morgan W. Richie: Fine Art Photographer

How we view the world is predominantly constructed by our minds and perceptions of the world around us. Seeing is not always a passive action; seeing can be active, interactive, and construed by our consciousness. When Morgan began exploring Zen practice and Buddhism, she started to deeply explore the interwoven relationship between the mind and its perception of the world through her artwork.

As early as the age of 7, Morgan remembers minding her own mind: she found a journal entry where she wrote about noticing thoughts floating by. At the age of 16, while sitting in her car at a stoplight, she caught herself thinking, “Why can’t I get any space between my thoughts?” Looking back, Morgan sees that she was always inquiring about her own thoughts… she simply hadn’t found a name for the practice yet.

Morgan’s artwork seeks to unravel and question how she sees the world around her. Her photography works in tandem with her Buddhist practice; by exploring how she sees the world through the lens, Morgan further explores the relationship between her thoughts, perceptions, and experiences—and how they relate to reality.

Becoming a Fine Art Photographer

Morgan has been behind the lens for many years. She first picked up a camera for her biology classes in college while doing research, continuing her wildlife photography in her career as a marine biologist. Then she met her mentors, who possessed language for the nebulous ideas she had been exploring since the age of 7 years old. Morgan loved biology and the natural world but knew a piece was missing from her work. Upon meeting her mentors and learning about Zen Buddhism, Morgan understood she had found the missing piece.

Why does Morgan Create?

In radically simplified terms, life’s suffering is caused by delusional thinking, according to Buddhist philosophy. Our minds cause the desire for life or ourselves to be different from what they are, leading to suffering. In her Zen practice, Morgan practices mindfulness, sitting meditations, and training her own mind; Morgan practices Zen so she can become more open to reality and see the world for what it is, rather than what her mind perceives it to be.

This practice is reflected in Morgan’s artwork. Her photography is an extension of her spiritual practice, as she uses her lens to explore the world around her. By practicing mindfulness and awareness, Morgan can see those resonant moments that deeply connect to something more profound than the thinking mind can grasp. In those moments, Morgan pulls out her camera. For Morgan, photography is not about creating an image of what she’d like something to be but striving to capture something for precisely what it is.

Capturing and Reflecting How We See the World

Photography can elicit emotions we don’t always fully comprehend, like poetry and other visual media. Visual arts also speak to us, often on a deeper level than our thinking minds. Morgan creates works that speak to that deeper sensory experience and seeks to transcend past the thinking mind into the essential self. The audience is drawn into Morgan’s work because we intuitively understand it rather than trying to make sense of it with our rational minds.

Whose work inspires this Creative?

Morgan has been inspired by many philosophies, texts, and artists, but she’s particularly inspired and influenced by Mark Rothko. Rothko’s ability to combine color and form to incite spiritual experiences within the viewer are the kinds of resonant experiences Morgan strives to stir in the viewer of her art.

How can readers support this Creative?

Morgan believes that all artists are precious and integral to our world. She would love for our readers to visit her website MorganRichie.com to make a purchase or contribution and follow her on Instagram and Facebook .

Networking and Funding Opportunities for Your Creative Business

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 19:00:00 GMT

In this post, we’re sharing some incredible organizations you may or may not have heard of, which can help you fund, grow, or start your small business.

On the National Level: Small Business Administration

SBA is a government-funded organization that connects small business owners with lenders, grant opportunities, and government funding. According to its website, the SBA was “Created in 1953… to help small business owners and entrepreneurs pursue the American Dream.”

What is the Small Business Administration?

On sba.gov , you can find tons of opportunities, resource articles, and funding programs to help you start or fund your small business. The SBA was particularly valuable for business owners during the pandemic because it offered a range of grants and funding to help business owners pay their employees, receive grants, and survive the difficulties of the pandemic. Start with their website to see what options are available to you.

Hawaii Small Business Organizations

There are tons of Hawaii-based small business organizations as well. The Hawaii Small Business Development Center is state-wide, meaning you can find opportunities to connect with this organization on each island. Whether you’re just starting to think about turning your creative passion into a business, or you’re well on your way, the Hawaii SBDC offers many services, workshops, seminars, and training to help you thrive and succeed. Head to their services page to learn more: Hawaii SBDC Services .

Get Your Products Selling on Sites for Small Business Owners

If you’re a product-based business, be sure to check out Shop Small Hawaii, an initiative from Central Pacific Bank and a program of the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business and Leadership. Membership is free, and you’ll get access to a range of workshops, events, and services once you register. Check out their site and see if it could be helpful for you and your creative career! Visit Shop Small Hawaii .

For local business owners with product-based businesses, House of Mana Up offers to feature and sell your products for you! Investing in your own e-commerce website right out the gate can be daunting, so check out these two sites to start selling without having to design your own website first!

Resources for Women-Owned Businesses

There are many great national and local resources for female-owned businesses specifically. On the federal level, there’s the National Association of Women Business Owners , a dues-based organization for women business owners. There’s also the American Business Women’s Association . Another rad organization is IFundWomen , which operates a bit like GoFundMe, specifically for women business owners. You can take their free e-course to understand the Crowdfunding process and then learn about starting your own crowdfund to fund your unique project idea.

Hawaii-Specific Programs

Looking for something a bit more local? Hawaii offers female-business owners tons of resources to connect with other business owners and grow. The Patsy T. Mink Center for Business & Leadership is a great place to start if you’re looking for support and resources to start or grow your business. If you’re interested in networking, the Business Networking Institute (BNI) is open to men and women who want to connect with fellow business owners. There are tons of networks across the islands, so check them out and see whether joining might fit your goals by doing a search on their site: BNI Hawaii Chapter Search.

For women-only networking, check out the Oak + Pine Society , where you can meet and connect with a variety of female entrepreneurs in Hawaii. There’s also the Professional Women’s Network .

Support and Opportunities for Small and Local Businesses

This is a brief overview of some of the many resources out there for you as you’re exploring how to grow your creative passion into a business. Have you participated in any of the above groups or networks? Did we miss one that you think should absolutely be included in this list? Let us know in the comments!

What is the "Creative of the Month" Series?

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 01:20:47 GMT

We started this series to highlight various creatives in different industries. We use the term “creative” and “artist” in a broad sense. You might be a creative who works with food, makeup, clothing, paint, dance, or some other medium we haven’t heard about yet. The list of possibilities is long, but here’s a list of the types of creatives we want to connect with and write about.

Designers:

Artworks

Architecture

Fashion

Industrial

Interior

Graphic

Floral

Multi-media:

Special effects

Digital products

Animation

Gaming

Websites

Crafts:

Jewelry

Pottery

Wood

Glass

Crochet

Sewing

Knitting

Macramé

Communications:

Marketing

Advertising

Editing

Copywriting

Poetry

Creative writing

Short stories

Novels

Fine arts:

Tattoo

Photography

Illustration

Performance:

Film

Videography

Music

Dancing

Acting

Singing

Comedians

Tell us about your creative passion in the comments, especially if you don’t see it on this list.

What will the Creative of the Month blog posts be like?

Each month, a creative will work with our Communications Director, Savannah. Savannah is a copywriter and content marketer. You’ll “sit down” with her via Zoom, phone call, or in-person if possible. She will take you through a series of questions so we can share your unique vision with our audience. Besides the blog post, you’ll also be featured on our Instagram and Facebook pages.

What questions will I be answering?

Savannah will start with the basics—who are you? What do you do, what you enjoy and dislike, and find out a bit more about you. Then Savannah will jump into the exciting part—what you do creatively.

You’ll tell Savannah about your creative process, existing work, goals for your work, and more about what drives your creativity. Finally, Savannah will find out how our readers can support you. Can we visit a website, follow you on social media, or purchase some of your pieces? Maybe you have an idea for a project and you’re looking for a specific type of business to partner with. Whatever will help you thrive, this is the time to share about it. Finally, we’ll put a list of links to your work if it makes sense.

Interested in being our next Creative of the Month?

Email savannah@beachbumcreativehi.com with:

Your name
Your creative industry
Why you want to be featured
Any relevant links you'd like her to check out

And you’ll hear back within a few days to see about when we can feature you on the series.

Coworking Spaces to Grow Your Creative Business

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 21:29:22 GMT

Our creative entrepreneur resources blog series

Hi there, thanks for reading the Wind Beneath My Wings Foundation’s inaugural blog post. Each month, we will be alternating between two primary themes: 1. Resources for Creatives, and 2. Creative of the Month. Our next post, coming in August, will give you a greater insight into what our Creative of the Month feature will be like.

Today, we’re talking about resources. Creatives and entrepreneurs mostly work from home when first starting out. Throughout the pandemic, coming together collectively wasn’t possible. Now that gathering is safe again, we thought we would talk about an excellent resource for creatives in Oahu—coworking spaces.

Why should you find a coworking space if you’re a creative?

Coworking spaces are more affordable than office spaces. They’re a great location for client meetings, brainstorming sessions, focused work, and a break from working at home.

Coworking space benefits

There are many benefits to finding a coworking space somewhere close to you. From larger conference room options to pop-up events, coworking spaces have a lot to offer creative entrepreneurs and artists.

Coworking and community

Working alongside others allows you to meet new people. After two years of almost everything being on Zoom, in-person connections are more crucial than ever. A coworking space gives you the chance to connect with others, network, and find your community.

Coworking and professionalism

Around the world, people are pretty Zoomed out when it comes to virtual meetings. Having a dedicated space to meet with clients shows you’re serious about your work. Most coworking spaces offer room rentals so you can present your project, collaborate, or work in a soundproof room. Many coworking spaces also offer projectors, monitors, and other tech that will show your clients just how skilled you are.

Coworking and creativity

Getting yourself into a new environment might be all it takes to reignite that spark of expression. Focused work is easier in a work-friendly environment. Coffee shops and living rooms just don’t always cut it when you need to dig deep and finish a project.

Coworking and growing your business

Have you been wondering how to connect with a more diverse audience? Lots of coworking spaces offer weekly or monthly events you wouldn’t otherwise hear about. Going to these events gives you practice talking about yourself and your work, asking questions, and building relationships with business owners in different industries.

What coworking spaces are on Oahu?

Most of the Oahu coworking spaces are right in downtown Honolulu, but there are a few outside of Downtown as well.

Already have a coworking membership?

Are you a member of a coworking space we mentioned, or one we didn’t? Tell us about your coworking membership experience in the comments.