It seems like a long time ago that I watched Amanda Palmer’s TED Talk titled The Art of Asking. I loved it then and I love it now even more, since I’m on the verge of launching my own Kickstarter campaign.

When I saw Palmer’s TED Talk for the first time I was in the middle of researching crowdfunding, specifically Kickstarter. Running my own campaign was just a hint of an idea, something to do one dayAmanda Palmer’s Kickstarter campaign was one seriously inspiring case study for me because she raised more than $1 million. (I’m just sorry I wasn’t there in time to contribute.)

The more I read and learned about her campaign, the more I felt like the whole crowdfunding thing was truly revolutionary. It meant that things were possible. It gave me hope.

This was long before Veronica Mars, Zach Braff, and Spike Lee joined the Kickstarter family, mind you. Those campaigns got a lot of headlines. Drove more people to Kickstarter. And made it, well, more legitimate. I’m very grateful for that.

But — for me — these case studies are not about the million dollar goals. It’s about the potential attached to these campaigns. It feels like the welcome mat has been laid out for the indie projects and that’s EXCITING.

To me, it’s about the idea that you’d be willing to put your money where your mouth is, ya know? That the people who say they follow you, your work, and your desire to put something new out into the world would actually help you do it by donating money to make it possible. Some days I feel like I can hardly wrap my mind around that.

It’s a gift. A thing of true beauty. Something full of overwhelming grace and love.

This is a community of people is saying, “Yes. I trust you. I believe in you. Go forth and create something awesome.”

This is an artist saying, “I want to make something amazing. But I can’t do it alone. I trust you’ll join me on this journey.”

We’re on the verge of launching our Kickstarter campaign and I find myself feeling …. vulnerable. I was prepared for the hard labor, stress, emotional roller coaster ride, and sleepless nights. But I don’t think I was prepared for this feeling of being truly exposed and vulnerable in such a public way.

I really needed to watch Amanda Palmer’s TED Talk this week. It gave me a lot of comfort. Hope. Inspiration. And courage. I really needed that.

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