An Endeavor is the experience of chasing down a passion. Should you choose to be part of this community, this platform is your medium for sharing every aspect of the story with us. While you may be juggling multiple Endeavors at any given time, each one gets its own blog. Through your updates, we discover the inspiration for your dreams, the means for overcoming obstacles, and the fulfillment that comes with the journey. Whether it is in the minutiae of and unexpected detail or the grandiose glory of realizing the pinnacle of your dreams, we want to hear the juicy stories of what make your passions special to you.
As we follow you in real time, the community becomes part of the story. we are able to offer ideas, support one another, and hold each other accountable for progressing down the path. We won't let each other get stuck or bogged down. If something is not right, we can tweak our trajectory. In the end, we can all share in each other's successes. Upon completion, the experience is archived and the wisdom gained enhances all aspects of our lives.
Sample Endeavors
This flagship Endeavor was implemented from 2005-2010. It involved all the elements of learning, creation, experience, and sharing. It involved building a rowboat to be taken down the Mississippi River, then putting those newfound skills to use in running a boat building program at a high school in Central Milwaukee. This three-phased odyssey inspired the creation of Art & Rugby Endeavors.
It cannot possibly be overstated that Endeavors come in all shapes and sizes. This winter outing took place in Nelsonville, WI, the birthplace of Art & Rugby Endeavors. A group of friends headed out with their kids for an afternoon of snowshoeing and cooking over a fire. The youth involvement justified the societal benefit.
Learn Create Experience Share INSPIRE!
Dave Mangin's Spin on the elements of an Endeavor
Ahh, the richness of looking back upon memories well lived and revisiting lessons learned, people encountered, memories made, character carved. Our lives are built of our collective experiences, relationships, and footprints we leave behind. It is the intention of this platform to make those things as meaningful and steeped in wisdom, camaraderie, and benevolence as possible, and of course to share them with others. ARE focuses on the enrichment of lifestyle, leisure, and travel in order to forge strong personal characters, resilient communities, and bolster communities toward a harmonious, peaceful existence with other cultures and the Earth. Focusing on the discrete and the personal, a key question becomes: How to generate authentic experiences through responsible means? While not a definitive guide, an Endeavor may follow a general progression of learning, creation, experience, and sharing. The result is an inspiration to anyone whose path crosses or gets involved.
Learn
As an undertaking is dreamed up and planned out, the first opportunity for growth is to learn what's needed to make it happen. Taking the Big River Trifecta as an example, I had to study up on glued lapstrake boat construction, the hazards of the Mississippi River, the logistics of a shop, transportation, programming, and needs of my audience before undertaking any of this endeavor's respective phases. Where I didn't do my homework ahead of time, the learning curve became quite steep as I had to pick things up along the way.
Create
This is one of the best ways to really own an experience. Or maybe it is the experience. In the case of my voyage down the Mississippi River, I built the vessel for the trip. The construction became an adventure of its own, even numerous ones. I lived on the floor of a boat shop while getting the project started, negotiated the needs of a building space and moving materials without a car after I moved the operation back to Wisconsin, and had one hell of a celebration at the christening.
Experience
The building of Whisper was an experience of its own, but the voyage down the Mississippi River was a trip of a lifetime. What a great way to experience a cross section of America. I kept a detailed journal and took pictures in an effort to capture the essence of the experience. This, of course, was balanced with enjoying where I was. The journals and pictures are fun to look back upon to remind myself of forgotten nuances, and even set straight memories that may have been blurred or warped with the passage of of time.
Share
After returning from the Gulf of Mexico, I paused for a bit to see what my future held. A year later, I found myself teaching and managing a boat building program for youth in Central Milwaukee. I was able to pass on the story, share some aspects of craftsmanship, and get youth out on the water to have their own adventures.
Inspire
My hope is that the passion for silent time on the water becomes contagious and people abandon the jet skis and power boats in preference for the treasures of man, wind, and current powered experiences. Adrenaline can still be pursued through whitewater or mountain biking, but we tread more lightly and maybe discover more in the process.
Hopefully others are able benefit from these concepts as I have. ARE is a work in progress, so we'd love to hear your take on meaningful experiences so that the community can be enriched and our methods refined. At any rate, we'd love to hear about the means by which you pursue your passions. You can join our community by becoming a member and updating a personal blog as your journey unfolds. If it is a long term Endeavor, we can be at your side every step of the way.