Who am I?

“I knew who I was this morning, but I’ve changed a few times since then”. – Alice in Wonderland

I would like to introduce myself, and then express my hopes and dreams in regards to my role in the MN Ecovillage Project, also known as Solis.

My name is Alexis Krauss, and I’m a lifelong artist and seeker of knowledge. I moved to the Village in the middle of last April. It doesn’t feel like I’ve been here that long. I guess time dilation is a given when you’re wildly experiencing life in a totally new way. When I say “wildly”, I mean that in a literal sense. I feel more in touch with nature than I have in a long time. And I mean, as you can clearly see, being wild and free, is what this place is all about:

I love it here. I’m very grateful for having the opportunity to be a part of the MN Ecovillage Project, near the beginning of its maiden voyage. I feel like I’ve found my tribe, and I’m really excited to see how things unfold.

What Solis Means to Me

When I think of the name “Solis”, my mind associates it with the word, “solace” (a source of relief or consolation), which I feel is a definition that resonates with the essence of this magical place. I’ll just come right out and say it — the modern world presents as a wayward storm, yet, if you ground yourself and slow down and really look at your surroundings, you’ll find that there are little pockets of refuge everywhere, where one can find solace, and begin to truly flourish and prosper. I deeply feel that this is a place where solace and prosperity can be sought and attained. I believe that it’s a space where creative minds can work together to build an immersive work of living art, in myriad forms.

My Role Here

Speaking of art, part of my role here is to help all of the makers here flourish and prosper alongside me. In keeping with that goal, I’ve opened a shop page on our website, so that we all have an official platform from which to sell our creations. So far, Sarah Bird and I have some of our items listed, and I hope to be able to attract more artists that would like to take part in our endeavors. We also have plans to attend local arts and crafts fairs, so that we can form more real connections with our community and people that would like to support us.

At the moment, we have it set up so that 25% of the price of each crafted item goes to help support the efforts of the whole village, and the rest of the price goes to the artist who created the piece. I am very happy with this arrangement, because by having part of the sale go to the village, I’m directly augmenting our efforts toward sustainability, environmental restoration, and personal healing.

I really enjoy making things that are inspired by nature. Here is one of the things I’ve created:

I think oyster mushrooms fit right in with the aesthetics of the Village. I cast a variety of sculptures from my hand-made molds.

Another major role that I’ve taken on here is the marketing side of the village. I will be continuing to capture and share the precious moments we’re all experiencing here. I hope that my efforts inspire people to come visit, live here, volunteer — or even to start their own ecovillages.

I find it delightful that whenever I walk around to capture footage and images of the Village, there are always such exciting and interesting things happening all over the land, all at the same time. We are all involved in such a wide variety of projects, yet they all flow together in harmony, as if we’re all one organism, or a mycelial network.

I will also be writing more blog posts whenever I get the time, in order to keep you all abreast of all of the awesome things we have going on.