by Carolynne Wilcox
We here at The Metronome Society are *IN THE THICK OF IT*. Just finished our invited auditions last week and are starting rehearsals this week – tonight, in fact – and also immersed in pre-production duties, between advertising, trying to nail down tech dates at the Rendezvous, and coordinate everyone’s schedules long enough to actually have production meetings. I picked up our printing in Portland on Friday and have to deliver it to our beloved Poster Nazi at some point this week. We are in FULL SWING MODE.
Also, we are right in the middle of our Kickstarter fundraising campaign. It has been somewhat slow, though the few people who have donated have given big, which is amazing, and has brought us only $235 shy of our goal at the time of my writing this. It is hard not to have a love-hate relationship with crowdfunding. Theoretically, it’s a great way to nickel-and-dime your way to a modest sum that helps out with production. You get extra word out about your project. It’s a roller-coaster ride. One day you’re riding high on the flood of love from multiple donors and the next several days, it’s all crickets. And the closer you get to your deadline and the further away from your goal, you start to put contingency plans in place to “rescue” the Kickstarter. And then suddenly, everyone comes out of the woodwork in that last day and you get funded. Or not.
We’re in the middle of a stretch of crickets right now. I’ve backed plenty of Kickstarters, Indiegogos, GoFundMe’s, GiveBig’s, you name it, I’ve more often than not given at least 5 bucks. I’ve contributed to baby adoption funds, liver transplant operations and restoring the Pioneer Square pergola, to name a few. I’ve supported the dance, theatre and film projects of a multitude of folks. I always try to give where I can – usually it’s not much, but it makes me happy to support the work that makes other people happy in this country that dictates our worth is measured only in dollars and cents.
It’s hard not to get discouraged as an artist. Opinions, as they say, are like assholes, everyone’s got one, and if you have no financial success, you have no worth in this society. The older I get the more I realize – it’s not money and it’s not fame – SUCCESS as an artist, is simply, DOING IT. Making your art. Working your THANG. And continuing to do it regardless of who notices, what financial gain comes your way, what notoriety. Even if you never, ever become one of the cool kids.
Anyway, I don’t know if I will ever become one of the cool kids, but I feel very lucky that I get to work with a bunch of ‘em in Self-Titled this summer! Even if you think I am a total hack, they are all very much worthy of your time and attention as audience members, and a little Kickstarter love as well. Our goal is to pay everyone, and the more we raise, the more we will be able to give to our actors, musicians and other creatives.
To become a backer of our wild and wooly Kickstarter Campaign, click here.
Tickets to Self-Titled: A Live (Theatrical) Mixtape are available here.
We here at The Metronome Society are *IN THE THICK OF IT*. Just finished our invited auditions last week and are starting rehearsals this week – tonight, in fact – and also immersed in pre-production duties, between advertising, trying to nail down tech dates at the Rendezvous, and coordinate everyone’s schedules long enough to actually have production meetings. I picked up our printing in Portland on Friday and have to deliver it to our beloved Poster Nazi at some point this week. We are in FULL SWING MODE.
Also, we are right in the middle of our Kickstarter fundraising campaign. It has been somewhat slow, though the few people who have donated have given big, which is amazing, and has brought us only $235 shy of our goal at the time of my writing this. It is hard not to have a love-hate relationship with crowdfunding. Theoretically, it’s a great way to nickel-and-dime your way to a modest sum that helps out with production. You get extra word out about your project. It’s a roller-coaster ride. One day you’re riding high on the flood of love from multiple donors and the next several days, it’s all crickets. And the closer you get to your deadline and the further away from your goal, you start to put contingency plans in place to “rescue” the Kickstarter. And then suddenly, everyone comes out of the woodwork in that last day and you get funded. Or not.
We’re in the middle of a stretch of crickets right now. I’ve backed plenty of Kickstarters, Indiegogos, GoFundMe’s, GiveBig’s, you name it, I’ve more often than not given at least 5 bucks. I’ve contributed to baby adoption funds, liver transplant operations and restoring the Pioneer Square pergola, to name a few. I’ve supported the dance, theatre and film projects of a multitude of folks. I always try to give where I can – usually it’s not much, but it makes me happy to support the work that makes other people happy in this country that dictates our worth is measured only in dollars and cents.
It’s hard not to get discouraged as an artist. Opinions, as they say, are like assholes, everyone’s got one, and if you have no financial success, you have no worth in this society. The older I get the more I realize – it’s not money and it’s not fame – SUCCESS as an artist, is simply, DOING IT. Making your art. Working your THANG. And continuing to do it regardless of who notices, what financial gain comes your way, what notoriety. Even if you never, ever become one of the cool kids.
Anyway, I don’t know if I will ever become one of the cool kids, but I feel very lucky that I get to work with a bunch of ‘em in Self-Titled this summer! Even if you think I am a total hack, they are all very much worthy of your time and attention as audience members, and a little Kickstarter love as well. Our goal is to pay everyone, and the more we raise, the more we will be able to give to our actors, musicians and other creatives.
To become a backer of our wild and wooly Kickstarter Campaign, click here.
Tickets to Self-Titled: A Live (Theatrical) Mixtape are available here.
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