Inner Weather showcases stories and
reflections that help us explore the human psyche by understanding what it is
that makes us human.
The 21st century is characterized
by a fast-paced life, focused on the aspirations, achievements and wonders.
What we fail to do is recognize the pathways that we took to succeed. We never
talk about the obstacles or frustrations that we faced, but these are the
things that define us. It isn’t the success but rather the disappointment that
makes us the individuals that we are today. It isn’t gloating in wonder but
rather self-reflecting and trying to understand the pain and disappointment.
Don’t you understand someone much
better when they are vulnerable and talk about a challenging moment in their
life more than when they tell you about their multi-billion dollar business?
Talking about the self-reflections,
individual pathways and wisdom we garner over the years is valuable. It helps
us understand ourselves and it helps us understand one another.
Inner Weather will showcase these
reflections and stories on a website. The website will not be based on a social
platform, but rather will be a curated piece of work. I will seek out individuals
and work with those who wish to participate in order to prepare the story for
the website. Individuals can keep their anonymity if desired, though it is not
encouraged.
The Stories will all be in written
form and if the participant permits, in audio and video as well. There will be
no “comments” section on the website in order to avoid e-bullying and
negativity. The main idea of the website is simply to showcase thoughts and
allow each viewer to connect with an unknown individual on a deep level. It is
not about starting conversation and discussion over stories, but rather
starting an inner dialogue and promoting conversation in the outer world.
Read a story, think about it,
reflect, perhaps talk about it to your friend and start a discussion on the
topic. Inner Weather aims to engage, to foster connection and deep
thought.
About Me
My name is Eleni Polychroniadou. I am a
Greek young woman who grew up in London and is currently studying environmental
policy in the United States. I am a passionate person who loves talking to
people and connecting with them on a deeply personal level. I also think
self-reflecting is extremely important and oftentimes post some of my thoughts
on my blog, www.bluntandshort.com . As I was writing this
summer, however, I realized that I wanted to hear other people's thoughts on
topics such as grief, forgiveness, love, etc. I wanted to understand how other
people thought about "the unsaid", which led me to start Inner Weather.
We are always talking about our successes, but we rarely stop to discuss the
failures and disappointments that led us to where we are today. Without
failure, there would be no success.
What We Need & What You Get
I need $1300 for Inner Weather, mostly for
website design and hosting costs.
$80 will go towards hosting, a domain name
and 10GB of space for videos and audio clips
$700-900 will go towards building a custom
website in order to showcase the stories. It will be custom built as a
responsive layout with some Flash, thus the cost is relatively high. However,
this should be a fixed cost as after the website is built, the basic layout
will be maintained and only the color scheme may change in the future
$90 will go towards designing a custom logo
for the website and making appropriate headers
The remaining money will be used for
advertising, video editing for promotional purposes and video editing if
interviews are conducted face to face.
As a contributor, you can also receive
some fun perks! Everyone will receive a personalized letter of thanks for
contributing to this project, and those who contribute at least $25 will also
get official recognition on the website. For a contribution of $100, the
individual will also receive the opportunity to participate and share their
wisdom on Inner Weather, as well as advertising space for their blog, website,
brand or company. Finally, for those wonderful people who contribute $300, they
will additionally receive a t-shirt with the Inner Weather logo and a framed
copy of Robert Frost's poem, Tree at my Window.
If this campaign doesn't reach
the entire goal, the money will still go towards the website and a design for
the project. It may need to be supplemented by the money I earn from part-time
work, but it will be used for the same purpose.
The Impact
I may not be a professional journalist or
web designer, but I believe in the value of sharing and I think that there is
so much power in self-reflection. Perhaps people won't learn from other's
lessons, but they will be wiser just from listening to someone else's
experiences. They may connect to someone they don't know, feel comforted at a
moment when they feel alone, or simply smile and acknowledge that there is more
to the human psyche than discussing the weather, the latest gossip or your
job.
If you are interested in individual life
philosophies or believe that there is value in sharing experiences and
reflections, please support my project. Your contribution, whether that is $5
or $100 is much appreciated and will make a difference.
Other Ways You Can Help
I would be most grateful if you could
share my project with your friends and acquaintances. Post it on Facebook,
tweet it, use the Indiegogo share tools!
Anything and everything is helpful! With
your help, Inner Weather can become a hub of wisdom on the web.