We live in a world saturated with things. Some of us have access to a great deal, and for some the access is limited; regardless, we live in a world dominated by consumerism. Gift Economics is a new, and at the same time very old, story about how we establish a relationship with people through things. The basic tenets of gifting is that we all have things to share (gifts), whether those things be material items, talents and skills, or knowledge. But it also rests on the idea that we all have needs, many of which go unmet today, even in the wealthiest of families. Money, as a medium of exchange, has become and end unto itself, but we are seeing that it is a hollow place to rest our heads when we are searching for community and connection, to learn and be mentored, to feel a part of something bigger and more important than ourselves. When we give the gifts that we have to our larger community, especially in a community that celebrates acts of generosity, we build "wealth" in ways counter-intuitive to our modern, monetized, commodity-based culture. But this is not the way it has always been, and it is not the way it has to be. We have a choice.
Gift economics suggests that the giving and receiving of our gifts is the foundation of community. The ties that bind us, in reality, are ties of gratitude. Money removes gratitude, because once you have paid money to someone for something, you no longer need to feel grateful. A gift, however, imparts a connection based on gratitude and a desire to provide a return gift at some point. The return gift then becomes a way for you, as an individual, to creatively express and own your sense of appreciation for the other. On these things, friendships and community are based.
For example, when you go to Target and purchase a skirt, you pick it out and pay the cashier. Usually there is not much thought about who made it (and even if you do think about it, it is unlikely that you would ever meet anyone even involved in its manufacture.) Any sense of pleasure at the purchase is over once you discover that the hem is poor or that it doesn't quite match the top you had at home. But it is yours, and your wear it until it is time to send it to a thrift store or throw it away. There is no relationship built in this kind of exchange.
Now imagine that a friend of yours sews, and she makes you a skirt. She knows your color palate and picks something appropriate to your sense of style. She refuses outright payment; "Wow, that was SO nice of her," you think. A year later, when she has a major birthday, you throw a small party at your house to celebrate her, because you know that you are special to her and that she is a kind person. You meet her friends. They become your friends too. And every time you wear that skirt, you think of her kindness. When the skirt becomes worn, she takes it back and repairs it for you. Even more gratitude is born.
We all have the capacity to live surrounded by "things" (like the skirt) that are part of the fabric of relationships, but for most of us, most of the time, this is not the case. Things are a burden, contain no memories, require care and maintenance, break and then cost money to replace -- again in a faceless, gift-less economy. Money has creeped into relationships that once were built on trust and friendship and family: child-care, elder-care, home cooking, gardening and farming, building houses together, making music together, talking through troubles together… Now, all of these things are purchased and often anonymous. These precious, intimate opportunities for connection are lost.
Gift economics is an attempt to re-imbue meaning into the things we have through gift-giving and relationship formation. Hopefully, someday, we will be able to look around our environment at home, and see relationships rather than things. The FreeStore is an attempt to build relationship back into our collective gifts, to be a repository for stories, and to provide a space where people can be both generous and get their needs met. We all have needs, and to build community we must re-define how we get them met.
For more information about gift economics, you can start by reading Charles Eisenstein's Sacred Economics (free on-line, as a gift), or check out the many articles on Shareable about gift giving and the sharing economy. A short film about Charles Eisenstein's book can be seen below.
Gift economics suggests that the giving and receiving of our gifts is the foundation of community. The ties that bind us, in reality, are ties of gratitude. Money removes gratitude, because once you have paid money to someone for something, you no longer need to feel grateful. A gift, however, imparts a connection based on gratitude and a desire to provide a return gift at some point. The return gift then becomes a way for you, as an individual, to creatively express and own your sense of appreciation for the other. On these things, friendships and community are based.
For example, when you go to Target and purchase a skirt, you pick it out and pay the cashier. Usually there is not much thought about who made it (and even if you do think about it, it is unlikely that you would ever meet anyone even involved in its manufacture.) Any sense of pleasure at the purchase is over once you discover that the hem is poor or that it doesn't quite match the top you had at home. But it is yours, and your wear it until it is time to send it to a thrift store or throw it away. There is no relationship built in this kind of exchange.
Now imagine that a friend of yours sews, and she makes you a skirt. She knows your color palate and picks something appropriate to your sense of style. She refuses outright payment; "Wow, that was SO nice of her," you think. A year later, when she has a major birthday, you throw a small party at your house to celebrate her, because you know that you are special to her and that she is a kind person. You meet her friends. They become your friends too. And every time you wear that skirt, you think of her kindness. When the skirt becomes worn, she takes it back and repairs it for you. Even more gratitude is born.
We all have the capacity to live surrounded by "things" (like the skirt) that are part of the fabric of relationships, but for most of us, most of the time, this is not the case. Things are a burden, contain no memories, require care and maintenance, break and then cost money to replace -- again in a faceless, gift-less economy. Money has creeped into relationships that once were built on trust and friendship and family: child-care, elder-care, home cooking, gardening and farming, building houses together, making music together, talking through troubles together… Now, all of these things are purchased and often anonymous. These precious, intimate opportunities for connection are lost.
Gift economics is an attempt to re-imbue meaning into the things we have through gift-giving and relationship formation. Hopefully, someday, we will be able to look around our environment at home, and see relationships rather than things. The FreeStore is an attempt to build relationship back into our collective gifts, to be a repository for stories, and to provide a space where people can be both generous and get their needs met. We all have needs, and to build community we must re-define how we get them met.
For more information about gift economics, you can start by reading Charles Eisenstein's Sacred Economics (free on-line, as a gift), or check out the many articles on Shareable about gift giving and the sharing economy. A short film about Charles Eisenstein's book can be seen below.
