So this was an interesting and rewarding project - to launch an idea, asking for support, on Kickstarter. I did not know exactly what I was getting into. I knew very little about "crowdfunding" other than it was a possible revenue stream. (I'm trying every one I can think of.)
The weirdest part was the idea that I was actually asking for money for myself. I have never been in that position. I was born into a lucky lifestyle. My college education was paid for. I stayed home to raise my children. I own my own home/studio and it is a doozie! How can I ask anyone for money?
But that is not exactly what my campaign on Kickstarter was doing. Backers do give money. Then, they can choose to get "rewards" for whatever amount they give (they can also choose no reward, thereby sustaining the project itself). In essence, they are "buying" one of my products, sometimes at a better value. Sometimes they are buying the promise of a product - I will "paint your view". All are investing in my idea.
And, the backers do much more than participate in this new type of marketplace. Their assistance gives me faith: in my "easel on down the road" quest, in my writing, in my accomplishments as a painter and in having potential as a lone person with a lone product in an unfamiliar business world. Knowing that my art can garner this type of validation equals belief in what I do, belief in me. There's no value you can put on that.
Kickstarter is about wild hope. (I love wild hope.) It is about speculation. It lassoes that quintessential American right - to be independent, to be an entrepreneur.
So - a very hearty thank you!!! - to Kickstarter, for existing, and, more importantly, to all my backers, for empowering me. I will not disappoint!
Project link: http://kck.st/1BUmrLq
