Making “IT” A Balloon Arts Movement
_____________________________________________________________________________
Welcome to Making It With Balloons Network (MIWB.net).
Resource Center for ”Making Things, Making Success & Making A Difference With Balloons”™.
MAKING “IT” A BALLOON ARTS MOVEMENT - A Balloonitorial by Graham Rouse
_______________________________________________________________________________
Balloon Arts such as balloon decorations, balloon sculpture, balloon graphics and balloon entertainment are media that have touched and influenced the lives of millions of people in a positive way. Many of you are among those of us who lend our hands, give our breaths and share our imaginations through balloons. We touch, enrich and influence individual lives, economic activities and cultural attitudes in the world around us.
- We use translucent film made with sap drained from trees or made with oil drained from the earth.
- We sculpt envelopes for air.
- We transform them with hands, with machines and with imagination.
In the process:
- We inflate more than balloons.
- We inflate our own sense of self worth as WE are filled and transformed by rewards of, smiles, praise and money.
- We stretch more than latex.
- We stretch the imaginations of those around us with the possibility that they too might become creators and not just creatures.
- We color more than the light seen through our balloons.
- We color the emotions and attitudes of those persons whom we engage with our displays.
We exercise our balloon arts with balloon decorations, balloon sculplture, balloon graphics, balloon entertainment and more. We have daily opportunities to expand business, stretch imaginations, and color attitudes in positive ways. When we do these things, the momentum of our individual influence combines with others in a worldwide Balloon Arts Movement that can significantly alter and improve the world around us.
Our mission at Making It With Balloons Network ( http://MIWB.net ) is to serve as Your Resource Center for
- Making Things With Balloons……………… Being Productive
- Making Success With Balloons…………… Achieving Goals
- Making a Difference With Balloons……. Benefiting Others
As you do these things, you contribute to that worldwide Balloon Arts Movement. As we support you, we hope to also contribute to that movement.
The Balloon Arts Movement, however, does not depend upon any individual or organization.
The Balloon Arts Movement infects the attitudes of people with a rainbow of positive feelings. It then grows with the stretch of each balloon. It expands with each breath. It spreads with each smile. It is, in fact, already on its way to becoming a viral pandemic of delights; visual, tactile, emotional, even economic.
The Balloon Arts Movement promises to each person who participates that they will experience life as a creator. It does not matter whether they focus on balloon decorations, balloon sculpture, balloon graphics, balloon entertainment or other balloon art. They will have opportunities to see their creations add life to the living of others. They will, thereby, sample one flavor of life eternal. They will experience again and again that creation stimulates life, life begets creation, creation stimulates life and the process goes on and on. It is a process worthy of life eternal. It is a process that enables life everlasting.
It is, however, a process that is not peculiar to balloons nor to balloon art. Yet, balloon arts can put that experience within the reach of nearly everyone. And, nearly everyone needs to experience life as a creator in order to strengthen their faith and to improve their skills at making life worth, lasting forever.
You can be among those who participate in this movement. You may already be among those who participate in this movement. Maybe you make balloon decorations, balloon sculpture, balloon graphics, balloon entertainment or other. As you participate, you experience, for yourself, life as a creator. You add life to the living of others and share with them the taste of that eternal flavor. It is a flavor they also may savor each time they add their breath to a balloon and share it with someone else.
So, go out now and encourage these others by your example, to participate in the Balloon Arts Movement and, in turn, to act as a positive influence on others around them…. … .
_________________________________________________________________________________
Thanks for reading/listening. I am
Graham Rouse
Making It With Balloons Network
At http://MIWB.net Your Resource Center For
“Making Things, Making Success & Making A Difference With Balloons”™.
Thank you Rouse Team for all you do in our great Industry. I send to you my Love and Respect. Your love and passion are contagious in all you do.
Peggy Williams
Burton + Burton, USA
Graham,
I really like what you have done here. Each time I go to a convention ( the last one being FLOAT) I am reminded of how far our industry had come since I started in 1981 when I had about 8 colors and we were putting balloons on string!
From non sealing mylar balloons (yes at oe time you had to self seal foil balloons) , to Hi FLoat, to MagiColor “cello” balloons to Link o Loons, to the new Bubbles and all the battery operated Sparkle lights our industry has “come a long way baby!”
And the leaders of our industry, some still here and others saddly no longer with us, have shaped it, encouraged it and imagined it to be what we have now. From Darlene Dykstra of Unique Concepts in Michigan and my FIRST convention in 1984, to Treb Heining and the million balloon release here in Cleveland in 1986, to NABA and IBAC where we REALLY learned what creativity was, thru recessions and 9/11 and now this economic turndown, we have surpassed even the dreams we had 10 years ago. Heck I’m still doing after nearly 29 years! It shows that if you like what you do, take time to get training and education, adn study your market, you can succeed.
Thanks to all out there who have inspired me ( Linda Bruce and Jan Iiams) amazed me ( Graham and Mary Queen), educated me ( Steve Jones, Bill McFadden, Wynn and Lindy Bell) and made me laugh ( Linda Kiss, Troy April). I don’t think I would trade this occupation for anything. And here’s a tip of the hat to those who came before me, came along with me and will replace me. Enjoy it all!
Jacquie Sopko
Balloon Crew Inc., USA
Gra Gra and Mary Queen,
How awesome to see something as creative as this website.
I look forward to it expanding the creative world we live and work in.
Sean O’Kelly
Balloon Decor, Australia
Thank you so much, Graham for this wonderful and inspiring blog.
As having made it one of my goals in life to dispel the myth that “Balloon Artists” are people who make dogs and swords at birthday parties or make three balloons on a string centerpieces, I found your article to be an excellent analogy of what we really can do.
Our industry has made so many changes throughout the years. It is wonderful to see, more and more, that we are not just entertainers or decorators, but BALLOON ARTISTS, or as my friend, Steve Jones coined the phrase, “Deco-Twisters”. Regardless of our area of expertise, we as balloon professionals should always strive to create BALLOON ART and educate the general public as to our talents and marketability. We can do so much more than what the preconceived notions of our industry are.
Your innovations have done so much to raise the level of respectability to this industry. The Rouse Matrix System is a brilliant way to create beautiful visuals of balloon art that virtually everyone can recreate with a “Rouse-cipe”. Like you, I am always striving to create that “Something new under the sun”, and always leave people positive and inspired about what our industry has to offer. I applaud you and Mary Queen for being such a valuable contribution to our industry. Thanks so much for all you do!!
Vicky Kimble
Incrediballoons, USA
I ditto the comments made by my friends- awesome website. You are always thinking of the next step, next vision, in our world. Thanks to people like you who keep it fresh. You have my support – whatever you need!
Linda C. Kiss, CBA
http://www.learnballoondecorating.com
Very nice site!
Very good job.Congradulations
Graham,
I always am inspired when I speak with you, hear you, and especially when I read your words. This blog most certainly hits into the depths of this exhilarating, crazy world in which we “balloonies” live–one that bring such joy and smiles to the world with everything we do. Thank you for writing this blog and for continuing to inspire and pass along love and faith. Can’t wait to see more and participate in BAM