The main focus of this project has ended… for now. My intention and hope to build a tiny house is still a major motivation.

The project began in the summer of 2016. In recent months, my focus on the project has shifted to other projects. After attending the Tiny House Jamboree in August 2018, I am even more interested in the eventual build of a tiny home, despite knowing that my timetable has shifted outwards by several years for many factors. As of April 2019, the remaining seven or eight “Why Tiny?” blog posts are sketched out, two of which are in the drafting stage. Although the project may not have developed into what I had initially imagined, I am most appreciative of the creativity, imagination, and perspective that has arisen from those initial thoughts.

“One thing leads to another.” -Lynn Ahrens

Here is the essence of what anyone who may have found a hidden “tiny card” and followed the link would have encountered:

“Part design project.

Part tiny house build.

Part journal.

Part photography.

Part experiment.

The first part of the project will jump start a process that has been in development for some time.  I hope to build a tiny house.  I first became aware of tiny houses several years ago.  The smaller ecological imprint, the simplicity, the freedom to move one’s house, and the nod to challenging a social norm all contributed to my intrigue. My sketchbook and pencils have been exercised greatly since this interest developed. Last summer, I attended a tiny house workshop with Jay Shafer. My excitement and interest only grew after those two days.

The second part of this project is documenting the designing and building of a tiny house. This has been done before by others, but I hope to share my own perspective with others interested in building their own home. Initially, I plan to write about the process for those who join this journey through my blog. After the completion of the build, I plan on developing these experiences into a more permanent written and visual record. (Ideally, this will become a book.)

The third part of this project is to see how many people are able to become a participant of this journey. Throughout my travels across this country, I have simply been amazed by the connections with fellow travelers. Some of these times the connection is a shared experience. Some of these times the connection is a shared location. Some of these times the connection is a shared friend. My hope is to bring these connections into the final written and visual record upon the completion of the tiny house.

Simply put, asking others for help in this manner is outside of my comfort zone. When I decided that I wanted to go tiny, I knew that I would eventually have to ask others for help with the building process. I always knew that I wanted the project to be more than just building a home. The prospect of using this experience to foster dialogue about what a house represents is what I am most looking forward to in the near and distant future. That is what led me to start this fundraising campaign. With luck, this tiny project will ultimately find a larger reach.

The funds raised will be used to get the tiny house build going much sooner than I would be able to on my own. Additionally, some of the funds raised will be used for writing and art materials to document the process. My plan is to continue to work on the design of the tiny house through the fall and the winter, and begin the building of the house in the summer of 2017. Should, by some miraculous turn of events, the goal be reached, any additional funds collected will be used to help bring the written record into existence upon completion of the tiny house.

In closing, when I was in college, I had the opportunity to work with our student activities group. During that time, I was able to meet some inspiring individuals. We had a guest speaker on campus who made an impression on me. He was able to, with the help of others, travel around the country to meet and interview successful people. One of my takeaways from meeting him was a quote that someone shared with him along his journey. “One’s success is directly correlated to one’s ability to ask for help.” I share that quote with my students each and every year. Any help that you wish to provide in this project is most greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this page.”

Thank you to those who helped facilitate the project. Your kindness and support is still most greatly appreciated.