Our good friend and illustrator, Martin Whitmore, is also an inspiration to us.

He recently quit his day job to go full time being an artist. His bold and fearless jump into the dark unknown inspired Pace to quit her day job to do what she loves! In addition, helping him has fueled our inspirations to help ourselves and others; it’s a positive feedback loop that keeps us going.

His newest project, Community Commission #2 is an awesome, collaborative piece. You pay $45 or more and get to give him two words (an adjective and a noun) which he incorporates into a new, amazing work of art. You also get copies of the finished pieces and other interesting stuff, which he explains on his site. (You can pay less, but $45 is the minimum for input.) Once he raises $400, the deal is on and the art begins. If he raises $700, he doubles the prizes.

If the goals aren’t met, no one gets charged a penny. The only way you pay anything is if the goal is met. (Well, you pay right away, through Paypal, but your money is immediately refunded if the project falls through). There’s no concern, though, because with art and awesomeness like Marty’s, meeting those goals is a sure-fire thing. (:

I am deeply impressed by the business model he’s using. I’m a big fan of community-based work – I like the connection it brings. I like the sensation of having been part of something so neat and so much bigger than me, with so many other people. He’s done one before, and every time I look at it, I get a warm fuzzy feeling (and not from the half-naked girls, though that surely helps). It was really fun to be a part of his process last time, to listen to him talk about the work he was doing, and to see all the updates as they came in. I even got an extra print for my dad, and he raves about it all the time!

Marty’s methods in these projects are all about the connection paradigm. He pulls people in from various walks of life, gets all manner of interesting and wacky input, and puts it all together in one gorgeous print we hang on our walls and talk about for years to come. I’m proud to have been a part of the first one, and thrilled to get the chance to do it again.

We were so inspired by Marty and this project, we incorporated the ideas into our plans for our 2009 weekend workshop roadtrips!

Feel clear and confident about your direction in life!

Do you wish you could follow your heart, but it seems impossible? I can help you find the clarity and courage you need.

In other words, I can help you find your path.