It was Carl Sandburg who said, "I'm an idealist. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way."
I can really relate to that! When I look back over the things I've done, I realize that's how I've lived most of my life: not sure what was coming next, but pretty gung-ho to get started! This venture, Chill Monkeys, is no different. Here I am, designing clothes, making sales calls, overseeing production, and running my own website despite little to no formal training or experience in any of it!
One facet of my personal idealism - and one that I want to be a big part of Chill Monkeys - is the belief that one person can make a difference, and that when a whole bunch of "one person" types get together, really incredible things can happen. That's why 1% of all our online sales every month will be donated to a designated charity. When I launched this website a couple of weeks ago, I named Intrepid Pens as our designated charity for the month of August. Since chillmonkeys.com launched mid-month, I thought it would be a good idea to give Intrepid Pens 1% of our online sales for September, too.
I first met Amanda Grondahl, the driving force behind Intrepid Pens, in a class we were taking together. As we got to know each other, we talked about our histories and our goals. The passion and steely determination that came into her voice every time she spoke about her Downtown Eastside Women's book club and creative writing program really inspired me. A year after we first met, I'm honoured to help her realize her vision for Intrepid Pens in any way I can!
What are your favourite charities? Who would you like to see Chill Monkeys support in the future?
proudly Canadian
