The Tufted Titmouse Sculpture which I am currently developing
As you may know by now our first KickStarter Project received minimal support and so was not funded. I attribute this mainly to people not understanding what KickStarter is- or at least framing in in a very limited and often derogatory way.
KickStarter is both Revolutionary and Evolutionary.
KickStarter is revolutionary in that it is a rare new capitalization venue that includes the micro economy,. Kickstarter uses language that is usually associated with non-profit fundraisers, and so some have said that it is “asking for money for free”. Some in the private sector use KickStarter that way but the KickStarter Guidelines for the private sector recommends that the value of the rewards offered be in close proximity to the standard retail value, making KickStarter a fundraising venue for small micro economy businesses that qualify as “creative” by KickStarter’s measure, and which allows a private enterprise the opportunity to raise operating capital using one’s own resources and without going into dept.
KickStarter is evolutionary in that it is an online evolution of the most traditional means within the micro economy to raise capital for starting or expanding a business, i.e, through the support of friends and family. This means is commonly recommended on any How To Guideline for starting a small business.
Secondly KickStarter is an evolution of the media trend started by American Idol in which the American public votes to help the contestants to kickstart their careers in a given field. On my political blog I have been examining how the taxpayer’s money is being invested in private enterprises on a much larger scale and often without their knowledge or consent, Most Mainer’s do not know that they invest, in the manner of non-profit gift giving, in the Small Enterprise Growth Fund). The public who support a KickStarter fundraiser do so with full knowledge and of their own volition.
Thirdly KickStarter is an evolution of the merger of non-profit and private sector capitalization practices that have been in existence for years. For the first time the direction of that merge is reversed. Until Kickstarter the merger meant that the non-profit sector could engage in private sector means of raising capital but the private sector could not engage in a traditionally non-profit method of raising capital, by launching a public fundraiser. Over the years Andersen Studio has contributed hundreds of our products to non-profit fundraisers. Unfortunately the word “fundraiser” is associated with asking for “money for free”, which is not consistent with the KickStarter Guidelines for private sector fundraisers, which might more advantageously be called a capitalization drive
Moldmaking Update
The mold making project for the large Heron is on hold because I have sculpted my first bird sculpture and our mold-making budget will go toward making a mold of the Tufted Titmouse and developing it as a new product. I would like to find a gallery or galleries to market the Heron and our new limited edition line. We hope to be able to invest in the Heron project at some future date but I also have several other sculptures that I would like to do or complete and so there are choices to be made. I have found that sculpting is an excellent activity to do while keeping my father and founder of Andersen Studio company at the kitchen table. He has recently become very engaged in studying the sculptures for the first time since his brain injury a couple of years ago. I was sitting at the table working on the sculpture the other day when my father said “Why don’t you show it to me”: (he approves). Weston enjoys listening to the jazz classics of his own era while I keep him company at the kitchen table. The keeping of company seems most important and has a strongly evident affect. Dad sat on our front porch which looks out on the Mill Pond for several hours the other day. I have been trying to get him outside for years but he always said it was too cold. This time when I asked him if he was cold, he said “yes” but when I asked him if he wants to go in, he said “no”.
The Mill Pond is more than just an exquisitely beautiful and ever changing view
it is also a part of our story,
There are several other sculptures started that I would like to work on but one has a special purpose as it is a very large Otter Sculpture begun by my father years ago but never completed. It represents an engaging start and I am also very curious to see how Dad might become engaged in seeing a sculpture develop which is his own.
We continue to work with the young woman who came to us with experience with another small ceramic company. She has experience in mold making . She is currently working with Elise on developing wholesale accounts and I hope she will also help us to locate galleries which can market our limited edition lines. She is eager to be involved in the productive process and so when we develop a larger budget for mold-making, I would like to try out her skills.
In addition to developing more wholesale accounts our current capital raising efforts include running various three day sales available through our email list. We still have the same problem with internet expectations of delivery yesterday. And we are always explaining that that expectation is not realistic for us at this time. We know how to make that happen but we do not yet have the means to make it happen and those are the terms of agreement with which we must necessarily work. Our goal is to meet those internet expectations but in order to create the means for doing so, we have to work within our current limitations.
With that understanding- There are great deals by signing up for our email list, which you can do on our home page at www.andersenstudio.com