Ben's Weekly Spark 1.27.19: MLK's Greatest Speeches, A Shocking Live Stream & A Critique

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JOY, HOPE, PEACE & LOVE...

Happy Sunday friends!

Last night was electric (in so many ways!)

Thanks to everyone who watched The Joy Machine live streaming. We had such an amazing time!

A SHOCKING JOY MACHINE

(Pictured above: The Joy Machine at B&T's)

Last night the vibration was high, the band was on fire, and the room was electric! What was also electric, was the microphone. Somehow, the cord was conducting electricity, and kept shocking me while I was singing. Whenever the shock would come I would see small sparks come from the mic and then the lights would drop out and come back on, but I didn't want to stop the song. Luckily my good friend Molly May captured a screenshot of a moment in which I was shocked for your comedic pleasure!

This is what it looks like when a singer gets electrocuted:

***THIS WEEK'S SPARKS***

🔥 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.'S GREATEST SPEECHES:

A few years ago my husband and I were gifted a box set of Martin Luther King Jr.'s greatest speeches on CD. Listening to them was incredibly inspiring for me and informative of my work. It's like he laid out, in his speeches, a complete plan for world peace, offered for us to find and follow. Not long after I discovered that almost all of his recorded speeches are available to stream free on Spotify! Here’s most of them all in one Playlist!

🔥 A CRITIQUE ON MODERN YOGA

Really resonated with this explanation of how Yoga is intended to be a personal, individualized practice and a communion with the divinity of our bodies.

🔥 A POWERFUL WAY TO BE OF SERVICE:

If you're looking for a powerful way to give back, The Wayfarer is launching their 1:1 program where volunteers can be paired with someone experiencing homelessness for a year of connection and service to them in their journey.

🔥 PROFESSIONAL CUDDLING:

I say, "MORE CUDDLING!" For all ages. What would society be like with (safe) professional cuddlers for the public? I think the need to be held and affirmed is so undervalued and withheld in our society. Love the service this woman is offering for infants in NICU:

WANT TO SUPPORT OUR CREATIONS?

CONSIDER BECOMING A PATRON!

(Click above to watch my Patreon video. Thank you to everyone who has joined my Patreon so far!)

I've always been inspired by the Buddhist practice of "dana" or generosity. Buddhist teachers offer their services for free to the community, and in return the community gives back what it can to support the teacher's livelihood and survival. This practice of generosity ideally provides sustenance and abundance for everyone. And if someone is unable to give, they are not turned away. You give what you can, when you can.

I also love the idea of a Patron system, where we all are encouraged and empowered to support the artists we love so that they can create meaningful work sustainably. This encourages generosity in its own way and creative agency.

My approach to Patreon is a combination of these two systems. Most of the work that I'm creating will be offered for free to everyone, and I am happy to receive whatever contributions are in your heart to give to sustain it.

If you're interested in learning more about my Patreon campaign, click here.