Funding my European Trip

Check this out:



Well and good, although I'd like a better understanding of how and where the seal noises are being recorded. Surely it doesn't actually sound like that on the surface.

Anyway, since Werner Herzog seems to have the seals nailed down, I have turned my attention to dragging several paintings to Europe and having them annotated there. People like Sarcozy and Merckel. I'd like to go to Greece too, but I can't spell the names. My preference is to fund the trip via pre-bought paintings and a Kickstarter.com campaign. Like Huck Finn in reverse, sort of.

Rewinding a week or so, I was reading an article in the Times by perhaps David Pogue about Kickstarter. Juices started flowing. Mine seemed a worthy project. So I took the plunge. Or, since the plunge in this case is a complicated set of steps and procedures, I'm in the midst of the plunge.

The first thing you have to do with Kickstarter is send them a proposal. Which I did. And lo and behold, I received this in return:

Hi Geoffrey, Congratulations -- you’re in! In just a moment, you’ll be able to start getting your project ready.

Take as much time as you need to prepare; there’s no deadline to launch. Check out Recommended projects for inspiration: http://www.kickstarter.com/discover, and explore Kickstarter School for tons of tips on making a great project: http://www.kickstarter.com/help/school.

Some of the things you’ll learn: 1) A video is a must. It makes an emotional connection and shows you care. Plus, projects with video succeed at a much higher rate! 2) Cool rewards make a big difference. Not every reward has to be special, but they’re a great opportunity to share what’s unique to you and your project. 3) Spreading the word pays off. You provide the experience and the idea, your network helps fund and promote it.

And remember, funding is all or nothing -- you can always raise more, but never less! You'll want to choose a funding goal that will cover costs and fulfill rewards, but also one that is reasonably attainable through the support of your networks. If you have questions, check out our Help Center: http://www.kickstarter.com/help/.

Good luck!

Love,
Kickstarter

Spectacular, I'm thinking. "I am Spartacus," I'm whispering to myself in that lispy voice I find so comforting, like Jackie Kennedy imitating Gollum. "I am Thpartacuth," I'm whispering to myself.

"Here's to swimmin' with bowlegged women," I'm saying now aloud, emboldened as the news sinks in, to no one in particular as I sit in the studio on this balmy winter day listening to Thelonius Monk and sipping from about two and a half celebratory inches of Evan Williams 2002 single barrel.

And I like how they sign "Love, Kickstarter." I mean, what's not to like?

I'm troubled by the line that reads "And remember, funding is all or nothing."
Me too.
By which they mean that if you raise 99% of your targeted fund, but not that last 1%, you get nothing.
That's what I'm thinking.
So what's your number?
I'm thinking 50K. But I'm having anxiety as I type it.
Why?
Because I really want to write 75K.
Who doesn't?

Evan Williams bourbon, just for the record, is nasty stuff. At least the non-vintage, rank and file version is. The bottle is dressed up to look like Jack Daniels, with its square shape, black label with white writing. The upside is that a bottle of EW costs maybe 15 bucks whereas a bottle of JD costs two or three times as much.

Speaking of vintage, this classic Obscured Box painting is titled "Cheerleader with Banana":



Notable, I suppose, for the faraway look in her eyes as well as the bottle of Evan Williams she's cradling in her hands.

Kickstarter, by the way, is a hoot. Click here for a visit.