I'm going kind of radical today.
I'm sitting bedside; Mom is resting, & doing better. I'm rendering videos for clients & classes in the background, waiting for things to be shiny enough for me to continue working.
For years, I have been inspired by Gwen Bell. As she grows, I see the chance for growth and rebirth double, triple, continue on with success. Even having a business burn down didn't stop this woman!
Sometimes, we have ideas but are too afraid to voice them. Are afraid they may fail. And that's okay. It's natural. Sometimes, we need others to take the step first so we can follow. It gives validation to our idea, shows us that the community as a whole is moving towards something greater. Bigger.
I've been toying with the idea of a circle economy for awhile. I have bartered my way up the food chain, which has brought me where I am now, a place where I get to do what I love every day, meet amazing artists, and create the kind of content I've been dreaming of for years. I get to use cool words like clients and business trips . I get to visit new cities, network, meet new people. Become infused with new ideas.
Any student who contributes to the monthly 'zine gets paid. If they contribute lessons, they get compensated. It isn't much, but it's something . I want more participation, more circular teaching, and less of a direct Me --> You classes. I want Me -- > You <--> Us. Digital Adventures has turned into this (the self-study option will have student-submitted downloads and lessons!).
Here is something that has been going through my head for the past four months:
If 80% of the members over at The Studio donated $3 a month, I could give away all my classes for free.
This is crowdsourcing at its finest. If the crowd, those 600+ members, all got together and gave $2.25 a month in donations for an entire year, I could give away my classes. I'd have enough to pay the bills, invest in more equipment & materials, & eat. You would be supporting me directly, with the change you find in your pockets at the end of the day. Isn't that an amazing thing? And if every "like" on FB gave $.80, the same would happen -- free art, painting, art journaling, and digital classes for anyone who wanted to take them.
Of course, this only works if the commitment is both ways. If you commit for a year, I will. I will be all over the community. I will do more videos (I currently produce 4 personal videos a WEEK, just for classes & the Creative Warriors Circle, that the public never sees). I'll produce the 'zine with your content and pay you a flat fee.
I've seen what everyone else does, and I want to be different. Try something new. Go out on a limb. So when I reach my goal of $275 a week, I will open up all my classes, downloads, and products in the Shoppe. Come and get them. Enjoy. Pass them along. Let's try to make a new economy, where we all support others.
All supporters of the new economy will receive my e-zine, Warrior Call, each month as a thank you for your support of the work!
And if you need a few dollars a week, let me know. I'll come over and empty my pocket.
Donate via Gittip here. What I receive is public.
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