#GivingTuesdaySeries: Why I Chose Bess The Book Bus (The Story Behind My Logo)

You all already know that I am a huge bibliophile.

Yet, you probably don’t know why I chose Bess The Book Bus as the cause behind the shirt with the main logo design.

It all started when the Sheckler Foundation granted Bess The Book Bus as one of their $10,000 Be The Change grants which they utilized to create the Boards and Books Tour.

You see, there is nothing I love more than skateboarding.

I find the sport and the athletes that participate in it to be very inspiring to me as a writer. There is almost an artistic side to the sport. Have you ever watched a guy in the skatepark flip a board and himself in the air?

That to me is the perfect combination of physics and artistry.

It’s almost like dance but with a small wooden board on wheels.

Don’t believe me? Watch this:

via GIPHY

 

So they won and I thought it was the coolest thing. Boards For Bros. gave out skateboards to kids, and Bess The Book Bus gave out books.

They are a mobile library with books that provide reading material to kids in impoverished communities. They are Tampa based so they are local to my area.

That is why the cookie is reading and boarding at the same time. This was going toward the initiative. Yet, by the time I designed the shirt, the Books and Boards tour was over.

Now I just collect donations for Bess The Book Bus because I believe that all kids everywhere have proper access to books and the knowledge and escape they provide.

Now you know. You can purchase one here and they are available in a variety of colors.

The shirt retails at $21.99 with $6 a shirt being donated to Bess The Book Bus.

And no, the rest goes toward the printing and materials necessary for Teespring to make the shirts.

Other items within this campaign benefit the running and content creation of this site.

All items within my shop are based on the foundational belief that reading is the best activity this world has to offer and they all cater to that notion.

Bibliophiles should have a cute mug to drink their coffee out of.

Bibliophiles should have cute totes to carry their books in.

Bibliophiles should have a blanket that fits them from head to toe while they read.

Bibliophiles should have socks to wear, a beach towel to use while they read oceanside or poolside, and bibliophiles should have a backpack that carries their laptop and textbooks.

The New #ESPRESSOYOURSELF

If you are a reader and a supporter of my Book Blog turned PR firm then you already know the meaning behind #ESPRESSOYOURSELF….

Most people on Twitter know it as a hashtag game that became a chat that is now being condensed (temporarily) to a weekly prompt posted on Monday at midnight, and can be answered throughout the week by any and all within the #bookish, the #writing, or the #reading communities.

The rules are as follows:

  1. The prompt goes live on Monday at 12 a.m. EST.
  2. You must reply to the tweet and use the hashtag to answer the prompt.
  3. You must reply to one -three people in order to keep the conversation going.

I started ESPRESSOYOURSELF as a hashtag game in order to be a sort of reprieve from typical hashtag games I saw on Twitter:

Prompts were posted with fancy graphics and people were answering the question but no one was connecting.

The hosts were even unaware of what was even being tweeted with their hashtag because they didn’t even reply to the tweets.

This prompted the participants to not reply to anyone else, and it was a great reflection of how we as humans use social media:

To disconnect, to brag, to stay in our self-absorbed bubble, to never try to really get to know anyone else.

So stay tuned through March 30 for weekly prompts, and I thank you all for the support of ESPRESSO YOURSELF.

Signed,

The Smart Cookie