My name is Tulaya, otherwise known as ‘CreativeAdvokate’. Advocating creativity is my lifetime pursuit. Currently, I am on a mission to revive the use of proverbs by rediscovering folk wisdom with contemporary art.

In a world spinning rapidly towards modernization, bits and pieces of tradition can easily be left behind. More susceptible are oral traditions as they fall prey to ever-changing urban slang and social trends. Such change is obvious in the dying art of proverbs where usage can only be found amongst older generations and are close to non-existent amongst the young.

Thai Folk Wisdom features a selection of 50 proverbs with visual interpretations to bring life to 'out of date' traditions in a light and whimsical manner. I aim to reach out to third-culture Thais and young-generation Thais alike to understand and ultimately value Thai cultural heritage, bridging olden-day Thai wisdom with modern-day Thai society. Alongside these proverbs are delightful short tales written by Jane Vejajiva, the S.E.A. Write award-winning author of Happiness of Kati. The exhibition received great interest by the public, while the book became a best seller.

Realizing that this is a worldwide phenomenon, the pursuit continues. The original 'Thai Folk Wisdom’ exhibition is currently on tour in Singapore and is set to debut at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts' New Asian Imagination Symposium. It will be followed by a six-month campus road show intended to encourage on-campus cultural exchange on a deeper level, and consequently activate an interest in proverbs amongst younger generations. All activities will culminate to a grand finale at the Asian Civilization Museum, which will include public workshops, a forum gathering proverb experts from around the world and campus tours to view works on display.

The waning of verbal tradition is a world-wide tragedy, but luckily there is still time for a revival. It is my sole intention to bring back the subject, thus my global art and cultural crusade ‘Wisdom Beyond Borders’ begins.

The Impact

Wisdom in its pure perception travels far beyond borders. With the unfolding of the crusade, we will begin to see striking similarities in principles, reason and knowledge across all countries the world over. Some proverbial wisdom varies only in imagery, marked by the environment and surroundings as it crosses one terrain to another.

• Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. -English Proverb
• Riding an elephant to catch a cricket. -Thai Proverb

In a segregated world, ‘Wisdom Beyond Borders’ unites people on the basis of expressions of truth, based on common sense and practical experience that has inspired these oral traditions.

To ensure this is instilled in the minds of the next generations, we engage students during their formative years with ‘Wisdom Beyond Borders’ workshops, allowing them the chance to think critically on the subject of proverbs and how such wisdom can be applied in their day-to-day lives. The workshops are conducted through creative writing and, more importantly, artistic expression. They are not merely words to memorize; I intend to bring these words of wisdom to life.

So far, the dream of bringing this global campaign to life is halfway to the tipping point. I humbly seek your support and patronage to take this crusade beyond borders, across continents and around the world as it should be an integral part to our future education.

Social spheres are greatly expanded by the openness of the web and the ease at which people can search for online communities and interact with others who share the same interests and concerns. Therefore, developing www.wisdombeyondborders.org is the most vital and efficient approach to reach out to potential proverb aficionados. As Maria Montessori once said, ‘If help and salvation are to come, they only come from the children, for the children are the makers of men.’

What We Need and What You Get

We're looking to raise $20,000 to develop the website and mobile application and to hire a full-time editor and translator to ensure the site is well maintained and kept dynamic. This will help send me to the 5th Interdisciplinary Colloquium on Proverbs this November 2011. This is a one-week event that will allow me to acquaint myself with the world’s leading proverb experts while documenting their knowledgeable discussions. More importantly, it will help me to reach out to the community of proverb experts for future collaborations in ‘Wisdom Beyond Borders’. Last but not least, it will also assist me in holding a public workshop as the grand finale to the ‘Wisdom Beyond Borders’ exhibit in Singapore.

If we don't reach our entire goal, the ‘Wisdom Beyond Borders’ crusade will take a lifetime longer to accomplish. By then, a generation of experts may also have vanished.

We're offering a wide range of perks to our Indie GoGo pledgers. All prizes are limited edition, so take a look!

Other Ways You Can Help

If you'd like to see this become a reality as much as we do but can't make a pledge (or already have), please feel free to share this with everyone you know! Spread the word via Facebook/Twitter/blogs/news outlets or anywhere that people can find out about ‘Wisdom Beyond Borders’. This crusade can only be accomplished through your enthusiasm and support. Don't forget, Indie GoGo has some great ‘share’ options right here on this page, so check them out and spread the word! With some luck, this fundraising will be a success and we can see more of you at www.wisdombeyondborders.org! As an old English proverb goes, ‘A chain is no stronger than its weakest link.’ The future of proverb revival is in your hands!