In its simplest form, gift economics is a type of economy that encourages the exchange of our talents, skills, and energy, 

rather than always prioritizing the exchange of money to meet our needs.

​

       Charles Eisenstein introduced me to the idea of a gift economy. He makes the point that money is good for some things, such as bringing funds together to further the efforts of various people who are not located in the same place, but the exchange of money can leave something to be desired. Once the money is given, the connection between a buyer and a vendor may no longer exist. It is just a transaction. Social exchanges, however, often create a bond.

   

       As an artist, musician, and writer, I have offered my work as a gift for several years now. I learned very quickly, however, that people enjoy giving me gifts, too. So, I happily accept the gifts offered. The gift economy makes it possible for us to create a circle of giving. When I have given gifts, I have received many different gifts, such as poetry, yarn and knitting needles, organic vegetables, and more.

​

       But, is this type of economics practical? Well, I do use the gifts given to me. And, I get a lot of great smiles and hugs from the people I interact with, which is very valuable to me.

​

Neighborhood Gifting Circles

       A great way to support one another is through Neighborhood Gifting Circles. Your circle comes together once a month, eats delicious potluck food, and then whoever wants to shares with the group any needs they have - a ride to the doctor, or help planting a garden, someone to lead a sing-along at their next get together, some pet sitting. 

​

       This is a great way to get to know our neighbors better. It creates a sense of belonging, a feeling of safety, and the feeling of being supported. 

​

Neighborhood or Community Swap Meets

       Another great way to connect with your neighbors or the larger community is to have quarterly swap meets where you really do swap, rather than pay for the items. Everyone in the community gets involved, giving and receiving. 

​

Tool Libraries

       Not everyone has every tool that is necessary to fix things around the house and yard, so some groups create a tool library. Neighbors donate tools to the tool library that any neighbor can use when they need one. 

​

      

       I was so impressed with this idea of a gift economy that I decided to experiment with it, which I have done now for about eight years. I am an artist, musician, writer, and practitioner of the principles of Compassionate Communication. I decided to offer my time and skills as a gift rather than charge for them. My books, art, and music are given as a gift to anyone who wants them. Even though I am gifting these things to people, they sometimes like to offer me a gift, and I am always willing to accept it.

 

       If someone offers me a gift, I want their gift to be something they are comfortable giving. Also, I want people to decide for themselves what the value of my gift is to them. In other words, I don’t want a mandatory exchange. I want a gift from the heart – a social exchange, which I believe will enrich both of us.

 

           According to Eisenstein, there is currently an explosion of innovation that is creating decentralized, non-hierarchical modes of exchange:

• time banks, where members offer their services for Time Dollars

• co-operative food stores,

• free stores where clothing is distributed at no cost,

• gift circles where neighbors meet monthly to help one another meet needs,

• open-source technologies that allow people to contribute their time and knowledge to develop and advance software.

 

       Gift economics is not a new idea. People of many cultures have shared much of what they had. Some still do. Think of the Potlatch, where Native Americans came together and brought blankets, baskets, food and more as gifts. I believe this focus on gifting can enrich all our lives.     

 

       I have found that people like to contribute to one another’s well-being.  And people’s gifts are so creative. I have been offered books of poetry (by the poet), organic garden vegetables, songs by singer-songwriters, art supplies and much more.

​

       Here are a few examples of the beautiful connections that I have made when I offered my talents as a gift. One time, I was offering my Wildflower Note Cards and a woman stopped by with her two young boys. She read my sign about gift economics and then asked her boys to read the sign as well. As they were reading the sign, she was digging through her bag and, eventually, pulled out a lovely bird feather to gift me with. I could tell that the bird feather meant a lot to her and, therefore, it meant a lot to me.

​

       Another time, a young man, about 30 years old, was admiring some artistic cookbooks that I had made (a beautiful cover and the inside was blank so the cook’s favorite recipes could be placed inside). He said, “I’m a chef and I really like this, but I don’t have anything with me that I could give you.” I told him not to worry, it was a gift. He smiled sweetly, accepted the cookbook and, holding it close to his chest, he said, “I will always cherish this.” I still tear up when I think of these two experiences.        

​

       Eisenstein distinguishes between two types of production: quantifiable and non-quantifiable. Quantifiable products are physical products. Non-quantifiable products are intangible, social interactions, such as, childcare, pet sitting, sharing gardening tasks, helping elderly people, and tutoring students.

​

      Dr. Rianne Eisler, another person whose work has impacted me greatly, has authored several popular books over the last few decades, including The Chalice and the Blade, Tomorrow’s Children: A Blueprint for Partnership Education in the 21st Century, and The Real Wealth of Nations. Around 2010, she started advocating for what she calls Caring Economics. Eisler points out that very important things, such as. childcare, child rearing, elderly care by family members and volunteer work of all kinds keep our country running but are never given much value. Eisler has called for indices that include these intangible “products” as part of our GDP.

​

Gift Circles

       There are other ways to gift one another, too. Neighborhood Gifting Circles are one way. I was introduced to this idea by Bill Kauth and Zoe Alowen who wrote the book We Need Each Other: Building Gift Community. The basic idea behind a gift circle is that neighbors can share their time, their possessions, and their skills with one another and, in doing so, they can build a much stronger community. Through participation in a monthly gift circle, people can get to know their neighbors better and feel safer in their neighborhoods. And when you think about it, why should separate households each own a lawn mower that only gets used occasionally? Why should one person do all the work of planting and maintaining a garden when several people could share in the work and share in the abundance of food later?

​

       A good way to create a gift circle is to bring neighbors together for a potluck once a month. After socializing and eating great food, each person would tell the group about something they need. Then, if someone in the group can give what is needed, they do. We created a gift circle in my town with over forty participants. While few gift circles would be this large, it was amazing how well it went.

 

       Some things that may be needed include a ride to the grocery store or doctor, help mowing a lawn, planting a garden, help with mending some clothes. We all have something we can offer, and we all have something we need.                            

                                                                  

       As I mentioned before, Dr. Marshall Rosenberg claims that we all enjoy contributing to the well-being of others. I have seen this to be true, but it just seems too difficult sometimes to pull this off. Gift circles make it easier to get together and to follow through with our neighbors.  

 

       Sharing with people often motivates them to share with us or others. The good feeling that arises when we give to others is contagious. I recently took some blueberries, given to me as a gift, to a potluck. I was sharing about gift circles and the gift economy. Later I was admiring some earrings worn by a woman at the potluck. She smiled and immediately offered me the earrings. When I thanked her for the earrings, she thanked me for the opportunity that I gave her to gift me.

 

Making Gifts for Others

       Through all the experiences I have talked about in this book, I now know for certain that life’s simple gifts are the things that really matter.

​

       Another experience that launched me on this path of Gift Economics was the loss of my home in a Southern California wildfire. At the time, this experience seemed like such a tragedy. And it was for a lot of reasons. But, as I look back now, the tragedy of losing my home seems like a blessing because it started my journey to where I am now, enjoying the simple gifts.

​

     Before the fire, I had three sets of dishes. I had numerous boxes of clothing that I kept just in case I lost weight. I had two computers, a piano, a synthetic keyboard, two guitars, and boxes of percussion instruments. I had tons of jewelry. And I had many books and cookbooks that I had not even opened for years. In the summer before the fire, I had been gradually organizing the many things I had stored in a shed. Once I had it organized, I looked around and thought, “I really love this stuff.” Two months later it was gone.

​

       Over the next few years, I replaced some things, but I also I became more creative and started making my own jewelry and clothing. After the fire, I no longer shopped at department stores. I shopped mainly at thrift stores and street fairs. I didn’t have to do this. But the experience of the fire made me rethink a lot of the things I had been taught in life. I just wanted to live a simpler, more creative lifestyle.

          

       I also wanted to live a more community-oriented lifestyle. I expanded my artistic life to include co-founding an Inter-General Art Movement in my town, as a gift to my community. I have also promoted an Eat Local campaign for the last few years, helping to encourage citizens to get to know the regional organic farms. I also teach Compassionate Communication to my community members when I have time.

​

       These days, all my gifts to family and friends are made by me. I have even given up buying cards and wrapping paper. I make my own. I find necklaces at yard sales, take them apart and use the beads to design jewelry for my family members. This way, I get unique beads to work with. I take the necklaces with large beads apart and give them to my nieces and nephews so they can make their own jewelry. Since many of my family members live in cold places, I knit simple, but warm scarves. I also weave on my tapestry loom, things like cotton dish towels and grocery bags. Everyone loves the gifts, and I don’t have to fight the crowds at shopping malls during the holidays.

​

       I also advocate for giving things that I don’t use anymore to family and friends as birthday and holiday gifts. For example, my sister loves to cook, so I have passed on many of my cookbooks to her. When I get tired of a necklace, I pass it along to my nieces.

​

       I hope you will try some of these ideas. It is a really fun way to do life!