Studio Damoah

Making a Kickstarter Project to Raise Money for Yourself!


Kickstarter.com is a site that many of you may know, if not, then it is a platform for artists to raise money for creative ideas.

I will explain a bit about how to make your project as well as your proposal successful, but first, I want to talk about the economy and kickstarter. This applies only to U.S. residents at this time. Although one friend in the U.S can get you around this.

Everytime we hear news about the terrible economy we all get a bit scared that there will be even less money for us. It is as though there is only a certain amount of money in the world, and a big chunk of it has dissapeared, so there is less for us all, right? Honestly, I dont think so, and kickstarter is a good example. It is a site that began in 2009, and all it does is give creative people a platform to raise money. But wait, here is the real mind-bender; kickstarter is the number one platform for raising money in the world. Literally, every month, millions of dollars run through their accounts! How can this be? In a world reeling from economic woes, there are that many patrons that are giving money to eccentric projects? The simple answer is yes. It defies our idea of what a poor economy means. It also tells us that at this point, creative ideas and projects are a survivor of the economy, for some unknown reason.

I am not an economist, but I know it all has a lot to do with faith and fear as well as optimism about the economy. On kickstarter, everyone is creating projects that feel life-affirming and positive. Maybe that is one of the cures to the economy? I can theorize like anyone else, but my thoughts aside, the site is working, and I am an example. I am in the middle of a project where of all things, I am selling non-visible art, and am getting mountains of press and have raised over $14,000 dollars so far. The project has James Franco as one of its contributors which was of course a big help, but there are many more cases on there that show you how everyone does it in different ways.

This is how I recommend you start a project.

1. First, go on to the site, register (it’s free) and begin to back other projects. That is right, I am asking you to give a dollar here, a dollar there. You can feel like a big philanthropist by giving a dollar or more to a several projects. The reason I am asking you to do this, is because if you back other projects you will not only understand everything about kickstarter and how a project works, but you become part of the community and that is really important. You see, like any other social network, what you put in you get out. So trust me and spend an hour exploring kickstarter and back a few projects, you can keep your total costs under 10 bucks. You can do this from anywhere in the world.

2. Next, propose your project. You see, kickstarter doesnt accept all projects, so yours has to be accepted first. I have gotten turned down as well as accepted so I have learned a few things.

3. Make your proposal exciting, and make the rewards really cool. The focus for kickstarter is on the rewards, so it is up to you to make them really good. Look at successful projects to see what works.

4. If they turn you down, dont get depressed, try again!

5. Once your project is up, do not expect the money to just come in. You have to tell all your friends, post it on facebook, google+ and twitter, and that is still not enough. You will also have to write people direct letters asking if they would donate 10 dollars or more to your project. I know that is hard, but this is fundraising, and everything is personal. Would you tend to give to a posting on facebook, or a friend who sends you an inbox mesage asking you to please consider pledging? The personal approach is always best.

6. If you collaborate with several people, it is even better, because you will all promote it. There is one project on kicktarter called the Regretsy Tarot, where more than a dozen artists from all over the world collaboratively desinged and will make a tarot deck. They have already sold out and I think have made over $23,000 as of this post.

7. Read the blog that kickstarter writes on their site. It is filled with useful tips on how to make your project a success.

That is all for now! As you may know, I am a professional coach for artists as well as an artist myself. I help artists build theor careers professionaly and I have two textbooks coming out on professional development for artists. The first one is called Making It in the Art World and is out this October. If you need professional help in your career, I am for hire.

My project is worth seeing of course, not only because I did it and I think it’s great, but because it is truly a success. I strongly encourage you to consider a pledge! Just click here to see it.

My project is also set up so that you can even propose rewards and earn money off them if they are sold on my site, but hurry up, there is less than a month left!

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Studio Damoah

Feeling Great, by Doing Things Without Hesitation

Guest post by artist and art mentor Brainard Carey.

In the last interview with Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf, there were moments that made it clear why she was making it after quitting her job. It was really very subtle; she believed in herself in an almost unnoticeable but miraculous way.

When asked about her success relative to other artists who are struggling, she seemed to not even notice that what she was doing was unusual.

I think this is a very powerful statement about being focused on what you want and not looking at everything else around you to compare yourself to. I am sure she also compares herself to others, but nevertheless, she is in an enviable position of what most artists would call success, that is, not having a second job to support your art making.

I think what she has done is simple in one way and complex in another. On one hand, she has a belief in herself that is powerful, and perhaps you can or cannot access the same belief in yourself as easily. But she is doing something else. She is putting herself out there, physically, all the time. Her work is being seen by all kinds of people and it is being bought.

So, to me, it is interesting that she has a belief in herself apparently, but more interesting that she acts on that belief or perhaps in spite of it.

Let me explain. Rebecca may in fact be less sure of herself that I am saying she is. However, she is ACTING as though she is sure, and as if she knows it has the chance to succeed. Those actions that she took are what her world is made of, and it is what inspires me.

This blog is not so different. Recently started, it already has good content worth sharing. That is because Adelaide is an interesting person, but even more, it is because Adelaide began publishing her blog not totally planned, but confident that she would find opportunities and she has, and will continue to.

The point I am trying to make here, is that it is not enough to believe in yourself, though that is powerful, but the the greatest power seems to come from just trying, from actions, like this blog, like the blog you might start today.

I implore all readers to do what Rebecca and Adelaide are doing, make your world the place you want it to be, and go out there and do it! (Then tell Adelaide about it).

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Studio Damoah
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Art Success: Adelaide Damoah in Conversation with Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf

Here is the first video in the “Art Success Series of video interviews.” I picked Rebecca to interview for this series because I feel like she has a lot of potential to be the “Next Big Thing” in the art world because of her clear talent, tenacity and spirit. I mentioned in the video the famous saying “luck is where preparation meets opportunity.” This lady is that saying in action. Success in the art world seems to be a mystery for a lot of us artists, but Rebecca plainly and simply understands that you just have to keep putting yourself out there and learn what works best for you. There is no magical formula. It takes work, dedication, practice, tenacity and a will of iron.Watch the video below. The transcript of the interview is posted underneath.

Transcript:

I first came across Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf’s work in 2009 when we took part in a group show at the Opera Gallery in Budapest called “British Art in the Twenty First Century.” There were several other artists involved in the exhibition, but for me, the work that stood out the most was Rebecca’s work and I have been following her progress ever since, right up until her most recent success which was her inclusion in a reality TV show about art called “Show me the Monet.” Rebecca’s work entitled “June,” a self portrait got all the way through to the end, which meant inclusion in a big group show in Central London at the Royal College of Art.

June. 2010. Oil and acrylic on natural canvas. Featured on “Show me the Monet.”(c) Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf

Adelaide Damoah (AD): Rebecca, how long have you been a professional artist?

Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf (RFW): I have been selling work since my degree show which was in 2004. I worked in a gallery for a year and then after that, I really started doing it professionally and full time as well.

AD: Excellent. So you are completely full time, you are not doing anything else to back up your income.


RFW: Not at the moment no.

AD: What are your secrets to success?


RFW: Well, if you want to call it that. I would say I just threw myself in at the deep end I think. Because I worked at this gallery for a year and I was just basically working on a till and it made me really really miserable. I had my studio, but I didn’t really have the time or energy after work to go to the studio and somebody told me about doing promotional work, which is sort of like giving out leaflets and samples and doing bits and bobs and you can do that as and when you please, you know, when you need it and it pays quite well and I just thought well I am going to try it. I’m going to do it. I’m gonna stop working and do these odd jobs here and there so that I can just really concentrate on my work and do it and I think that was it, just saying yes, I am committing to it. I want this, so I’m just gonna do it, give it a go.

AD: Was there anything else in addition to that? It’s one thing making the decision that your going to go ahead and make a commitment to doing art full time, but were there any other specific things that you did that you feel kind of catapulted you to the point where you started to actually sell work and attract dealers?


RFW: Just getting myself out there really. I think just doing art fairs, just being online, seeing what opportunities are out there, exhibiting stuff in pubs and just sort of bit by bit starting to show work and get it out there. I think that’s all it was really and then from each thing something else comes. Somebody else has seen your work or other little bits just sort of come together. So I think that would be really just it. Just trying to get your work out there and it’s a bit difficult because there is no sort of set path as an artist or as a painter, sort of this is how you move up the ladder and move up the scales, so I think everybody has to figure it out for themselves and that is what the hard thing is. My mother is an artist which sort of helps as well but she works a lot more on commission, she’s a portrait painter primarily, so although she is an artist, her path is quite different than my path. So although I could get support and some advice from her, I still had to figure it out for myself.

AD: That’s interesting because, I mean, there are so many artists that… Well, not many artists have the advantage of having a mother who is an artist as well but, there are so many artists who are doing exactly the things that you have described and they’re failing miserably. So what do you think it is about you that sets you apart from the other artists out there who are failing? I mean, I know artists that have been doing this for years and years and years and they haven’t got as far as you’ve got.


RFW: Really?

AD: Yea


RFW: I don’t really see it that way myself. I suppose you’re more critical of yourself, but I keep thinking, my God, I should be much further by now and you know. It’s interesting to hear that. I really don’t know. I think a certain amount of luck always plays it’s part doesn’t it, in whatever you do so, I’d say that would be it really.

AD: Yea. Well they do say that luck is where preparation meets opportunity and you seem to be constantly prepared, so maybe that has something to do with it.


RFW: I try to be…

Njeri. 2011. Oil and acrylic on natural canvas (c) Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf

AD: So what would you say your main objectives are for sort of the next twelve months going forward? What are your goals?


RFW: Some of the artists from the “Show me the Monet” exhibition have decided to put on another exhibit with our work because it wasn’t open to the public, so we’re doing that from the middle of August. But other than that I think it will be just working on my actual paintings and where that’s going. I’ve got a couple of ideas of the direction I want it to go into, but I think I need to really crystallise that and work on it because sometimes I feel that my work could be that much better and you know, that much more powerful and really that’s where I want it to be. I want to be feeling completely happy with my work which I don’t know if that’s ever really possible to be 100 per cent happy and think yes, this is it. But, that’s what I’m aiming for anyway.

AD: Yea, as artists, we are always struggling with that. I can testify to that. But, you mentioned “Show me the Monet” again. Tell me a bit more about how that actually came about.


RFW: Well it was a competition to get your work seen by some art critics. A competition to get onto the BBC. A reality show where you get to present your work to the art critics who would then decide whether you went on to show in the final exhibition which was going to be at the Henry Moore Gallery at the RCA and was going to be attended by industry professionals and sort of other critics and gallery owners and things like that. I was quite reluctant to take part in it or to even apply for it because of the fact that it is a reality TV show and I wanted it to be more about my work and not about me. I know the format of reality TV and I know that it can be quite cruel so, it’s a massive risk you know, if they don’t like what you do, you could be humiliated in front of millions of people essentially. My mum kind of said, you know, why don’t you do it and my boyfriend did as well and in the end I thought, well I might as well try, I probably won’t get in anyway and, but then I did. Then I sort of decided, well I might as well go for it, you know and it worked out really well so. It was definitely one of the hardest things I’ve had to do, but it was really good yes.

AD: Definitely worthwhile because your prices went up double after that.


RFW: Yes.

July. 201. Oil, acrylic and resin on natural canvas (c) Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf

AD: So any artists out there who get the opportunity to go on reality TV, would you advise it? Take the risk?


RFW: I’d say yes. I think the thing is, you’ve always got to be, if you really believe in what you do, you’ve got to be willing to take that risk don’t you. So I think yes would be the answer.

AD: Good, so do I. So you mentioned that you have got your show with the “Show me the Monet” people coming up, are there any other shows where people can come and see your work?


RFW: I haven’t actually got anything lined up at the moment, but things will come in. I’m doing the “Untitled Art Fair” next year in June. So that’s quite far in the future but yea, I’ll be there. With my mum as well. She is going to be exhibiting, so we will be doing that together which will be quite nice.

AD: Very sweet. OK, so what about long term goals? Where do you see yourself in five years?


RFW: I don’t know if I would dare to say where I’d see myself. I can say where I hope to see myself and really it’s about having a permanent gallery space and being represented by one gallery exclusively and yes, just having that. Having solo shows with them and group shows with them. Not just in terms of status, but also, sometimes it gets really complicated when you’ve got work in different places and your working with different people, you have to be very careful not to piss anyone off or not to sort of overlap or anything like that and it does get quite complicated. It would also be nice to have somebody else who deals with all the business side of things and to be in a place where I can just focus purely on painting, purely on work and have somebody else do all the other stuff. That’s ideally where I would want to be in five years time.

Ipek. 2010. Oil and acrylic on natural canvas (c) Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf

AD: And your ultimate dream for success?


RFW: Ultimate dream would be I think what every artist wants which is to be able to create something lasting, something that has a lasting impact on people that will be remembered for years to come past your lifetime and will sort of play a big part in art history. I think that’s the ultimate goal that I think most of us have really, deep down.

Reflection.2011. Oil, acrylic and resin on synthetic fabric. (c) Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf

AD: Yea. OK. So, where can people see your work online?


RFW: You can see it on my website which is http://www.rebeccafontaine-wolf.com/. I have also got a facebook page which is the same name, just Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf art and on a few different art websites, but if you type my name, then you will find me on google.


Watch the full interview below.

View some more of Rebecca’s work on her website.
Click like on her Facebook page to receive regular updates.

Comments please! Subscribe to my youtube channel as I have a number of interviews lined up which I would not want you to miss. If you are an artist, you might just learn something, if you are a collector, you may stumble across your next obsession… Anybody else, well, I am only interviewing inspirational people, so you may just be inspired…

View some more of Rebecca’s work on her website.
Click like on her Facebook page to receive regular updates.

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Studio Damoah

Brainard Carey. Artist, Art Coach, Writer…Review

About Brainard Carey

Brainard Carey is an artist and art careers coach. As co founder and director of “The Art World Demystified,” Brainard has been advising artists for the past twenty years as well as working himself as a successful artist. He has walked the walk that many of us artists are struggling to walk now and is using his experience in all of the business and marketing aspects of being an artist to help those of us who need the help. Having exhibited at the Whitney Museum in New York as well as other gallery shows and having owned and run a successful gallery and art magazine, Brainard knows exactly what it takes to succeed in the art world. He imparts his wisdom succinctly and with great attention to detail with weekly tips, audio interviews and helpful stories in his weekly newsletter which is exclusive to subscribers.

Coaching

I am a subscriber have been receiving coaching from Brainard for a few months now. If you follow my blog, you will be aware that I have had a rather rough fifteen months or so. Without going into detail, I have divulged some pretty personal feelings about my state of mind regarding my struggle with work as a result of tragic real world circumstances taking a toll on me psychologically and physically. Stress makes my endometriosis and adenomyosis symptoms flare up big time! Everybody goes through bad things, that’s just life. You have to roll with the punches etc… You know the drill. The time came a little earlier this year when I had to drag myself back up and focus on myself and my career. I was struggling. So I looked for help and I found Brainard. Brainard managed to somehow, get me to feel excited about work and life again and to focus on my vision and dream. In his friendly, charming and honest manner, he has helped me to again start to visualize my future as it should be and to focus on the small goals that I need to achieve in order to reach the bigger goals. I have never NOT known what I want for myself, for my career. I don’t think any coach can tell you what you want, but they can help you to see clearly through the fog and to focus on what is important. They can strip everything down to the basics and then build you back up again so that your path is clear once more. Click here for more information on coaching from Brainard and his email newsletter.

Income Strategies For Artists

The subscription meant that I got a copy of Brainard’s DVD Income Strategies For Artists. If you are an artist and you choose not to subscribe to Brainards email newsletter or to sign up for coaching sessions, you still need to get a copy of his DVD. Brainard clearly and succinctly gives you lots of ideas for generating income as an artist with real world examples based on artists that he knows who are successful. I took notes through the whole thing and have watched it twice so far. You don’t have to be starving to be an artist, Brainard has plenty of examples of artists who are doing very well thank you very much. If you don’t believe me, you can read plenty of reviews on Amazon.
Art Success Series
I will be interviewing Brainard for my “Art Success Series” very soon. Brainard was kind enough not only to agree to an interview, but also to occasionally write helpful guest posts for my blog! Keep your eyes peeled for his first blog post and interview. I will tweet and share all over the internet and hope you will too. Brainard is an inspiration to me and to many other artists, so we can’t be greedy and keep him all to ourselves, we must share!
Oh, did I mention that he is also a published author? No? He is, and you can pre-order his book “Making It in the Art World: New Approaches to Galleries, Shows, and Raising Money” on Amazon. It is due for release in October 2011.
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Studio Damoah
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My First Interview

I filmed the first instalment for my Art Success Series Interviews today! The interviewee was a beautiful talented artist named Rebecca. Her full name will be revealed when the video is posted. I will be posting it before the end of next week.

I finished the interview feeling inspired and happy. So I picked up my pencil and started to draw. I will call the result “For Rebecca.” Simply because the image came to me after speaking to her. It is on auction now on Ebay for 10 days. Voila.

For Rebecca.  8.3 x 5.8 inches. Pencil on 125g paper


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Studio Damoah

Till the End of Time

I came across this beautiful touching song and music video a few days ago. It affected me so much that it brought tears to my eyes and gave me goose pimples. It made me feel things and remember that feeling of feeling so close to someone that you could just melt inside them forever and just be. I have watched the video many times over the past few days during my rest breaks. Every time it made me feel something different or remember something different. I sat down with my pencil and drawing pad and listened again and closed my eyes. Then I opened them and began to just make shapes while allowing the feelings to flow through me. The result is below. It will be on Ebay from soon.
Till the End of Time.  8.3×5.8 inches. Graphite and coloured pencil on 125g paper.
This is the song and the video. Just watch it and listen to the lyrics, then you will understand.

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