Fortune Jackson-Bertelmus
I had the pleasure of meeting Fortune at Wesleyan University. Every lunch hour Fortune would be behind one of the student center tables showing his impressive designs of crystals with intricate wiring. His table would be surrounded by curious students and guests eager to learn more. Yet his designs at the table did not stop there. Pretty soon, I saw countless of my peers rockin' his stuff from necklaces to bracelets to rings and it looked too good. I told myself, I had to have one and sure enough, I found the unique Growavy design just for me. While gazing at the crystal gem wrapped in wire around my index finger, it doesn't feel like it's just a piece of jewelry, but rather a loud statement that is always being defined by me, that is always complimenting me. How nice? Needless to say, I always told Fortune that he will be living up to his name. He, no doubt has an incredible gift and it is my delight to share his venture with you.
#HoodEntry2
#HoodEntry2
1) How do you view yourself as a young black man in this society today?
I view myself as a melanated spirit manifested in a mental and physical form. I feel that as a young black man in this country, there are many distractions intentionally set into our vision. However, the more I meditate on the events that unfold, the more I realize our environment is a manifestation of our inner selves. As you focus more on knowing yourself, these distractions become irrelevant. By looking inwardly instead of outwardly for fulfillment in life and spreading that message to youth, I believe I can aid the movement for a higher consciousness on this planet. As a vibrational being and a hue-man, I believe our hue or color is different vibrations of light that reflect our inner selves.
2) Do you believe there are enough media representations of the diversity of black manhood and his stories?
In this country, I feel that there are representations of all sorts, however certain kinds have much more weight in the media than others. I feel that there are positive black representations in other countries, that also show a diversity of black manhood, and those images are blocked from us intentionally. Worldwide, the representations of black men that promote disrespect toward women, violence, and ignorance are most popular due to white supremacy. This is because our oppression is profitable, and must be perpetuated in order to fuel the profit that is being made from us. However, I am starting to see a conscious shift in the representations of black men due to more artists, entrepreneurs, and other strong black men as role models. I've also begun to see a wider diversity of representations of black manhood, specifically in music and art. I feel that part of my purpose is to participate in that conscious shift from self-hatred and accepted dominance over us to self-love and being rulers of ourselves.
3) What made you interested in starting the Growavy venture? Why is it so important to you? Why the name?
I started Growavy because it felt like what I was supposed to do, it just felt right. My Tai Chi teacher put me on to the ankh, energy, and vibrations. When I went to etsy.com to get an ankh, I saw an orgonite ankh (made of polyester resin, crystals, and metals), and the description of its crystals got me interested immediately. I felt my spirit had led me to it. I saved up and ordered it, and once I felt it - the power and the energy it emitted - I knew there was something to it. Studying it became my passion. I would do about 4-5 hours of research a day, either looking up how to make it, or at orgonite people had made, or reading about ankhs, energy, and chakras (bodily energy centers). I saved up for about 6 months, then got the materials in May of 2016, and since then it's expanded to much more than just orgonite.
Growavy functions as 3 things. It is a calling for all of us to elevate our vibrations. It is a reminder that all growth comes from the spirit - a higher vibrational being. And it is an indication that growth is not always linear, but comes as a wave. Therefore, for instance, people shouldn't let one mistake today stop them from doing something tomorrow, but should instead see each experience as a learning opportunity for growth. I believe as we use crystals and metals to increase our vibrations ("growing wavy"), we receive spiritual, mental, and physical benefits. The number of letters in Growavy, seven, is the number of the seeker of Truth, and the number for thought. I wanted each person who stood for Growavy to be a person that thought about their decisions in a manner that allowed them to continuously benefit their lives without stagnancy.
Growavy serves to bring people together over a knowledge of crystals and energy, to propel the world toward a better future. My priority is to become a proponent of this better future through my art and growavy, which both aim to assist people in understanding energy and their ability to use it for the benefit of their lives.
I view myself as a melanated spirit manifested in a mental and physical form. I feel that as a young black man in this country, there are many distractions intentionally set into our vision. However, the more I meditate on the events that unfold, the more I realize our environment is a manifestation of our inner selves. As you focus more on knowing yourself, these distractions become irrelevant. By looking inwardly instead of outwardly for fulfillment in life and spreading that message to youth, I believe I can aid the movement for a higher consciousness on this planet. As a vibrational being and a hue-man, I believe our hue or color is different vibrations of light that reflect our inner selves.
2) Do you believe there are enough media representations of the diversity of black manhood and his stories?
In this country, I feel that there are representations of all sorts, however certain kinds have much more weight in the media than others. I feel that there are positive black representations in other countries, that also show a diversity of black manhood, and those images are blocked from us intentionally. Worldwide, the representations of black men that promote disrespect toward women, violence, and ignorance are most popular due to white supremacy. This is because our oppression is profitable, and must be perpetuated in order to fuel the profit that is being made from us. However, I am starting to see a conscious shift in the representations of black men due to more artists, entrepreneurs, and other strong black men as role models. I've also begun to see a wider diversity of representations of black manhood, specifically in music and art. I feel that part of my purpose is to participate in that conscious shift from self-hatred and accepted dominance over us to self-love and being rulers of ourselves.
3) What made you interested in starting the Growavy venture? Why is it so important to you? Why the name?
I started Growavy because it felt like what I was supposed to do, it just felt right. My Tai Chi teacher put me on to the ankh, energy, and vibrations. When I went to etsy.com to get an ankh, I saw an orgonite ankh (made of polyester resin, crystals, and metals), and the description of its crystals got me interested immediately. I felt my spirit had led me to it. I saved up and ordered it, and once I felt it - the power and the energy it emitted - I knew there was something to it. Studying it became my passion. I would do about 4-5 hours of research a day, either looking up how to make it, or at orgonite people had made, or reading about ankhs, energy, and chakras (bodily energy centers). I saved up for about 6 months, then got the materials in May of 2016, and since then it's expanded to much more than just orgonite.
Growavy functions as 3 things. It is a calling for all of us to elevate our vibrations. It is a reminder that all growth comes from the spirit - a higher vibrational being. And it is an indication that growth is not always linear, but comes as a wave. Therefore, for instance, people shouldn't let one mistake today stop them from doing something tomorrow, but should instead see each experience as a learning opportunity for growth. I believe as we use crystals and metals to increase our vibrations ("growing wavy"), we receive spiritual, mental, and physical benefits. The number of letters in Growavy, seven, is the number of the seeker of Truth, and the number for thought. I wanted each person who stood for Growavy to be a person that thought about their decisions in a manner that allowed them to continuously benefit their lives without stagnancy.
Growavy serves to bring people together over a knowledge of crystals and energy, to propel the world toward a better future. My priority is to become a proponent of this better future through my art and growavy, which both aim to assist people in understanding energy and their ability to use it for the benefit of their lives.
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4) What has the experience been like creating the different custom crystal jewelry pieces? How did you start your craft and what have you learned?
Every piece is a completely different experience spiritually, mentally, and physically. I form a bond with the components of each piece before, while, and after making it. I feel that I am marrying the crystals and metals, and the energy that comes forth from their marriage are divine children that bring joy and abundant growth into my life, and all those they come in contact with.
I make pieces for various reasons. Usually someone will tell me consciously or unconsciously that they are looking for a piece to help them in some way, and the image of its design comes into my mind, and I get the urge to make it, just like you get the urge to eat when you're hungry. Other times I'd make a piece because I am feeling an energy gap, either in myself or someone else, that I feel a crystal would help to balance.
I started making orgonite this summer, and once people got a few of those pieces, they'd ask, "I want another one, could you make it a bracelet?" or ring or earring. So I started looking into how to make bracelets with copper, and I started to learn the technique of wire wrapping from Youtube videos and studying the work of other artists. First I wire wrapped crystals, then I started wire wrapping orgonite too.
Since I started Growavy this summer, I feel that I've gotten closer to my spirit. I've learned that spiritual growth should be the priority, because it gives way to mental and physical growth. I've learned that you need to believe in yourself if you want others to believe in you. I've learned that it is important to set goals to prevent stagnancy. I've learned that I can remove any mental block that comes my way through deep meditation, because the answer always lies within us. I've learned that as long as you do not give up, you will always be victorious.
5) Where do you see this venture in the future? Will there be more versions? How can your followers continue to invest in you?
I see infinite applications in which we can use crystals to benefit our lives. Because I feel the energy of crystals is more noticeable when they are worn on the body, I would like to continue focusing on making my art wearable. Another way to benefit from the energy is to infuse your food with it with one of my charging plates or infuse your water/drinks with it either with a charging plate or a bare crystal. My friend Malik came up with a great name for this: Hotep Water and Hotep Food. Hotep means peace in the ancient Egyptian language, but not just peace as in peace on Earth, but the inner peace that exists within all of us that nothing can disturb unless we let it. At growavy.com, it's $20 for a Growavy bottle and $5 for a crystal, and custom wearable crystal designs start at $50.
I am also looking to make batches of pieces for the benefit of institutions. I see crystals being in hospitals to help heal the sick, in homes to help balance the energy of the household, and in gardens/on farms to help with the growth of vegetation. I see them being used in school classrooms and cafeterias as well as in college buildings. I see them being used during meditation and by healers in chakra healing sessions, as well as by masseuses to aid relaxation during massages. Crystals can also be used to neutralize harmful electromagnetic frequencies coming from appliances and devices we use every day. Once I do more experimentation on the ankh, we will be able to use it as a power source for electrical devices just as our ancestors in ancient Egypt did. Currently my findings show that the ankh amplifies an existing electrical signal, however I have only been experimenting for a few days so far, so there is still much to learn.
6) What is the best piece of advice someone has given you? Or motto you really live by? And what would you say to a young aspiring entrepreneur?
My grandmother, who passed this summer, told me to always clean behind my ears. When I was young, I didn't get it. But now I see why she said it. She meant that I have to pay attention to every detail, no matter what I'm doing. She knew that once I established the habit of paying attention to the details of my cleanliness, that that habit would translate into all aspects of my life. With those few words she taught me that in order to be the best at what I do, I must understand every detail of what I'm doing, and that everything I did had to be for a specific purpose. She wanted me to think about every move I made. Because of her, I see now that the more I pay attention to details, the more opportunity for improvement I see. Because of her, I have been able to take advantage of more opportunities that were only visible to me because I paid attention to certain details no one else did.
It is because of the habits my grandmother instilled in me - paying attention to detail and setting an intention for every action- that I have been successful in school and in my art. These habits I have developed are why I can spend hours on a single work of art, and then spend another hour or more making sure everything is exactly the way I want it to be, conveying the intention that I had set before I had even begun making it. It is the intention that provides inspiration and carries me to the completion of the task, and the attention to detail that makes my work both fun and incredibly satisfying.
So, to you young entrepreneurs out there, I say to you: always clean behind your ears.
You can follow and purchase Fortune's dopeness @
Growavy.com
Every piece is a completely different experience spiritually, mentally, and physically. I form a bond with the components of each piece before, while, and after making it. I feel that I am marrying the crystals and metals, and the energy that comes forth from their marriage are divine children that bring joy and abundant growth into my life, and all those they come in contact with.
I make pieces for various reasons. Usually someone will tell me consciously or unconsciously that they are looking for a piece to help them in some way, and the image of its design comes into my mind, and I get the urge to make it, just like you get the urge to eat when you're hungry. Other times I'd make a piece because I am feeling an energy gap, either in myself or someone else, that I feel a crystal would help to balance.
I started making orgonite this summer, and once people got a few of those pieces, they'd ask, "I want another one, could you make it a bracelet?" or ring or earring. So I started looking into how to make bracelets with copper, and I started to learn the technique of wire wrapping from Youtube videos and studying the work of other artists. First I wire wrapped crystals, then I started wire wrapping orgonite too.
Since I started Growavy this summer, I feel that I've gotten closer to my spirit. I've learned that spiritual growth should be the priority, because it gives way to mental and physical growth. I've learned that you need to believe in yourself if you want others to believe in you. I've learned that it is important to set goals to prevent stagnancy. I've learned that I can remove any mental block that comes my way through deep meditation, because the answer always lies within us. I've learned that as long as you do not give up, you will always be victorious.
5) Where do you see this venture in the future? Will there be more versions? How can your followers continue to invest in you?
I see infinite applications in which we can use crystals to benefit our lives. Because I feel the energy of crystals is more noticeable when they are worn on the body, I would like to continue focusing on making my art wearable. Another way to benefit from the energy is to infuse your food with it with one of my charging plates or infuse your water/drinks with it either with a charging plate or a bare crystal. My friend Malik came up with a great name for this: Hotep Water and Hotep Food. Hotep means peace in the ancient Egyptian language, but not just peace as in peace on Earth, but the inner peace that exists within all of us that nothing can disturb unless we let it. At growavy.com, it's $20 for a Growavy bottle and $5 for a crystal, and custom wearable crystal designs start at $50.
I am also looking to make batches of pieces for the benefit of institutions. I see crystals being in hospitals to help heal the sick, in homes to help balance the energy of the household, and in gardens/on farms to help with the growth of vegetation. I see them being used in school classrooms and cafeterias as well as in college buildings. I see them being used during meditation and by healers in chakra healing sessions, as well as by masseuses to aid relaxation during massages. Crystals can also be used to neutralize harmful electromagnetic frequencies coming from appliances and devices we use every day. Once I do more experimentation on the ankh, we will be able to use it as a power source for electrical devices just as our ancestors in ancient Egypt did. Currently my findings show that the ankh amplifies an existing electrical signal, however I have only been experimenting for a few days so far, so there is still much to learn.
6) What is the best piece of advice someone has given you? Or motto you really live by? And what would you say to a young aspiring entrepreneur?
My grandmother, who passed this summer, told me to always clean behind my ears. When I was young, I didn't get it. But now I see why she said it. She meant that I have to pay attention to every detail, no matter what I'm doing. She knew that once I established the habit of paying attention to the details of my cleanliness, that that habit would translate into all aspects of my life. With those few words she taught me that in order to be the best at what I do, I must understand every detail of what I'm doing, and that everything I did had to be for a specific purpose. She wanted me to think about every move I made. Because of her, I see now that the more I pay attention to details, the more opportunity for improvement I see. Because of her, I have been able to take advantage of more opportunities that were only visible to me because I paid attention to certain details no one else did.
It is because of the habits my grandmother instilled in me - paying attention to detail and setting an intention for every action- that I have been successful in school and in my art. These habits I have developed are why I can spend hours on a single work of art, and then spend another hour or more making sure everything is exactly the way I want it to be, conveying the intention that I had set before I had even begun making it. It is the intention that provides inspiration and carries me to the completion of the task, and the attention to detail that makes my work both fun and incredibly satisfying.
So, to you young entrepreneurs out there, I say to you: always clean behind your ears.
You can follow and purchase Fortune's dopeness @
Growavy.com
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