Photo of jazz musician Arturo O'Farril from Dee's Facebook page.

Artist Resource: Help!

Is it hard to ask for help with your business? What holds you back? For many, it is simply not knowing how. The answer, at least in part, lies in being prepared.

First, figure out what you would ask for.
Dee, the owner of Creative Music Photography, needed to raise funds to frame a series of photographs for an exhibition - something she had never been able to do in her long career as a music photographer. She decided to launch an IndieGoGo campaign.

"It was clear to me that the technical, digital support was my weakness," she said. So Dee made a list of things people could help her do. They could help her acquire a Facebook following, accept credit card donations at the kick-off event, and design posters on the computer. With this list Dee recruited a group of friends to help her.

Next, be prepared to venture outside your comfort zone.
Dee was nervous about asking for help within her limited network. Because she wanted to be clear and confident when she approached them, she prepared a written elevator pitch. "This protected my potential team members from my nervous chatter." She asked people that she already had a close relationship with, and five people agreed to assist.

Finally, be open.
Dee says "working with a team has been a blessing and a curse!"  Bringing helpers on board can lead to miscommunication and some frustration, and it is important to be open to change and other people's points of view. Asking for help and taking a leadership role can be a lot of work, but, as Dee said, "it has exceeded my expectation."

Dan Snow "combines master craftsman skills with sculptural artistry to bring new geologic forms into the natural world." In addition to making found-object assemblages using dry laid stone construction, Snow is the author of "Listening to Stone" and "In the Company of Stone."  See images of his extensive work and videos of Snow making art with kids on his website.

The City of Burlington is seeking to commission an artist to deliver and install a new, original, permanent, and site-specific piece of art. The art will be part of the Market Street Reconstruction Project in the vicinity of the Tributary 3 to the Potash Brook and associated wetlands. Read more.