I wear my heart on my sleeve - Heart project

Project Brief - I Wear My Heart on My Sleeve

In this project,I wanted to show my commitment and motivation in practicing buddhism and that it is a circular one; by developing the attitude of loving kindness and a desire to live by the 8 fold path. These two activities have become both a support and inspiring energy and the motivation to continue on my way.

Creative Team: Karen McVean, Ian Row, Diana Nguyen, Sam Santana.

Background:
Karen is a member of the Melbourne Buddhist Centre (associated with FWBO) Women’s Study Group who meets fortnightly on Tuesday evenings. Over the past months the topics for study have been the Noble 8 fold path the guiding principles for Buddhist ethical living. At the end of this current study period each member is asked to deliver a project of their choice, using inspiration from the study of ethics.

Theme:
My idea for the project started from a desire to give (an act of generosity) to members of my group something that would act as a reminder on our enjoyment in studying together.
As a collector of ideas I’d gathered a number of Buddhists sayings that amused me and had been toying with the idea of transforming these words of inspiration into a wearable garmet - I suppose a moveable postcard. (Greetings from buddhaland - nothing!)
As all good ideas evolve, so has mine. I was actively looking for the right words and a co-worker suggested a lovely practice meditation sent to him from a monk friend in Vietnam.

Water flows over these hands
May I use them skillfully to preserve our precious planet.


I discussed this meditation text with my friend Ian Row creator of Hotcross Haiku. We decided it wasn't quite right and instead, I invited Ian to write haiku inspired from the 4 Noble Truths and the ethical principles of the Noble 8 foldpath. Ian cruised onto my idea and suggested the image could sit on the sleeve of the tee-shirt, as in “I wear my heart on my sleeve” The concept was taking form.

Image:
Next, I needed the creative ability of a fab graphic artist, I approached Diana Nguyen my friend at Victoria Legal Aid, encouraged her to get involvement with creating the image for I wear my heart on my sleeve. Diana liked the idea. For the image we started to work with expressing the positive energy that sustains commitment and motivation, for the individual to live the ethical path. We wanted to convey a playful, serious heartfelt visual that would engage a viewer and please the wearer of the garment.

Heart – plump with compassion, loving kindness our source for motivation and energy flow. Attitude.

Dharma wheel – the symbol of the ethics, pillars of the Noble 8 foldpath. These principles are the blueprint for living as Buddhists.
Together heart and wheel are like our compass and energy/attitude all we need for the life path.

Text:
The text/haiku will tie in the image onto the tee-shirt so the viewer can be entinced to explore the meaning of the words in relation to the heart and dharma wheel. The viewer and wearer can follow the path from the heart/dharma wheel to the sublime meaning of the text or vice versa

See haiku post


Outcome:
Distribute to creative team, the remainder to Melbourne Buddhist Centre to sell in their shop – all profit to the MBC.
We all get to be creative and wear our hearts on our sleeves. And give these as gifts to others.