As I have mentioned before, in order to complete my project, I need to work out some way of funding it, and there are many ways that I can do this – the three main ways that I am thinking about at the moment being:
- Patreon
- Crowdfunding
- Selling editions
Patreon:
Patreon is an online platform for creators, where they create exclusive content for their members – people who sign up and subscribe to them every month. The content that is created is often created alongside the ‘public’ content, and gives extra insight into their work process, or a behind the scenes view of the project. Additionally, when you create an account for your content, you can create different subscription levels, and reward your subscribers for supporting you – for example with messages or discounts on products etc. As it is a platform designed for creative people and art works (amongst other things), I think it would be a perfect place to share and publicise my work – as well as gaining extra funding from it at the same time.
Crowdfunding:
Crowdfunding (Crowdfunder) is in some ways quite similar to Patreon, as you are able to create content and rewards to persuade people to donate to your project. However, it is a platform designed exclusively for raising funds, so it is easier to raise a larger amount of money on there, and would be better for raising a more ‘bulk sum’ of money, than Patreon which would be more of a steady income. It is also possible to raise extra money through crowdfunding with their + Extra Funding scheme, where you are able to find large benefactors that are raising money for a variety of projects that fit in with their goal – such as combatting the climate crisis. (See below) Crowdfunded would also be the best way of raising funds for the rewinding side of the project too.
Image Source: Crowdfunder (2021) Aviva Climate Fund. Available at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/funds (accessed: 7 December 2021)
Selling Editions:
The final method of raising funds that I have thought of is selling editions of the illustrations that I make. Although this could be a beneficial potential source of income, I have decided not to pursue this avenue, as negotiating usage rights of imagery (due to the reference image sources) is too logistically difficult.
Having researched all three methods, I actually think that I will do a combination of all three – none have to be stand alone and the combination would not only enhance my chances of raising enough funds for my project’s full completion, but it would also give me a wider platform and a wider range of experiences in selling, promoting and raising funds for my art. However, I do have to be careful when I do this, as I don’t want to lose the focus of my project and the intention behind it, by selling editions for example. This is something that I am going to have to think much more about and explore in more detail – in order to make sure that my project doesn’t lose its identity or become overshadowed by any of the logistical elements.
Additionally, I am going to have to carefully curate a campaign around my project, combining both the art and the rewinding elements, in order to add weight and create a wider awareness of the project. Doing this will vastly increase the chances of my project reaching the wider world and therefore getting larger base of potential funders. Sadly, this probably involves setting up a social media account for my project, however, I may be able to find ways of using one of the accounts that I already have – making it easier to keep up to date with content creating etc.
