VirginiaMcClain wrote:Charles' advice was excellent and it looks like you've already implemented it. The page looks great now! I backed it! What a neat idea! Wish I was close enough to come see the show.
Vivian,
When I saw that Virginia had backed your project, I decided to back it, as well. Not that I have backed Virginia's project, yet, and not that I know Virginia, per se, because I don't.
I would like to underscore something for you, Vivian. Kicktraq lists your project as a 33 day project. If that is the case, then already, over 1/3rd of your project's campaign cycle has already past. At your current rate of funding progress, your project is headed for failure. I say it this way, in order to get your attention.
I'll be honest with you, Virginia. You are woefully underselling your core assets for moving this project forward to fruition. Your changes to your project page taken into consideration, you really need to think long and hard about fleshing your project page out with depth, and to begin doing daily updates, minimum.
I looked at your Facebook page, and what I found there, just while browsing for just a very short while, was of vastly great visual interest than your crowdfunding project page even begins to hint at. In other words, you are robbing your own project blind, by withholding from your project page some items of sizable visual interest.
Look at it this way, Vivian, there are two basic things in play, which lie at the very heart of your project. One of them is your art. The other of them is you.
Thus, there is the artistic element, and there is the human element. Both have considerable depth to them. You project page makes exceedingly poor use of either of those two key assets. In layman's terms, you are squandering an enormous amount of potential, and because you are, your project is paying a price in terms of missing out on funding that you otherwise might have a very good chance of obtaining.
If someone clicks on your project page, even just to browse it casually, what you want is to grab their eye. The WHY behind it is of secondary importance. The primary thing is that you grab their attention, and then the challenge becomes to retain their attention, to hold it, in other words.
Let me point out some items that I think have visual interest.
This is an image of you with your art. You are in creative mode. You are up close and personal with your art. You're young. You're pretty. But, the picture as a whole, it's very beautiful - and it's not even in color. My eye stops on this image, and it lingers. It tries to take more in.
Here, the viewer is treated to a scene of an attractive woman, surrounded by the color and beauty of nature, sitting on the ground in a casual manner, her work in tow. You're facing the viewer. It's just a picture, but your pose, your gaze, is a form of interaction with the viewer.
Here, we have a cropped photo, but the fingers that create the art are touching the art. It's up close, and because it is, it is invariably more personal.
This is a beautiful image. The viewer is treated to both the artist and her art. A fire hydrant becomes art. You are an artist, and the entire world is your canvas. Yet, your project page isn't showing that, Your project page is currently the equivalent of a shoebox, and in that showbox you have stuffed both your art and yourself. What you need to do is to open that shoebox, and let the world see you and your art, you with your art, you distinct from your art. The art, after all, is only a part of a great whole - namely, yourself. Even if it's not your art, it is YOU with ART. You are one with art, that's the visual message that you being associated with art in images sends to the viewer.
Now, things take on a great context, for now there is a social element to your existence. How does one appreciate the artist, if one knows nothing about the artist? Which is greater, Vivian, the art or the creator of the art? As an artist, there are an infinite number of windows into your soul. Open those windows to the world. To crowdfund requires a crowd, does it not? Crowds are not formed by art. They are formed by people.
Behold, the artist! This is an extraordinary moment, in visual terms. The artist is awash in art.
Understand, Vivian, the human eye takes in more than just the artist and her art. It takes in the texture of the wooden floor. It takes in the grain of the wood. It absorbs the lights in the rooms on display, You are surrounded, not just by your art, but by beauty in multiple forms.
A picture says a thousand words. This picture says that art makes you happy. People like happy people. Happy equates to positive energy.
You're a person. You're alive. You are in the presence of good company. It sends a visual message.
Do you comprehend the significance of connecting with women, where crowdfunding projects are concerned? Why should other women support your project? The image above sends s strong and compelling visual message that you connect with other women.
One way to be recognized as speaking with authority is by citing authority. That doesn't just apply to direct quotes, but to authority in a multitude of different forms. The image above speaks to your expertise. It speaks to your achievement. It speaks to your accomplishment - and more importantly, to your ability to accomplish. Why should they trust you with their pledge money? Because, you have demonstrated commitment and you have accomplished something of note, something of importance, something of relevance.
Once more, the artist is on full display before nature, yet a different pose, a different scene, which translates into previously unencountered elements of visual interest.
A multitude of images speak to visual diversity.
This art is basically black and white, yet you are in full color. Visually, your art is juxtaposed against its creator, the artist, yourself.
Simply beautiful, a huge dash of color, bright, visually brilliant. It engages the eye! It captivates! Compare it to the image below.
Behold more than the art in base form, at the genesis of its creation. Remember what you said about this.
"I AM IN LOVE WITH ART.... IN LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"You are "in love" with art. Now, go back and look at your project page in its current form, and you tell me if that project pages does justice to those words of yours. They will see that you are an artist - but, will they see that you are in love with art? Which of the two do you think will have a better chance of persuading project page visitors to back your project?