Artist + ArtSpark = chocolate and community!

Michelle Otero’s ArtSpark campaign was crowned with a Chocolate Fiesta last Friday night. About 20 supporters turned out to celebrate Michelle’s draft of her memoir, Vessels, and also to eat tortilla soup, drink red wine, and gorge on (lots of!) chocolate together. It was a lovely evening, full of inspiration and aspirations (read Michelle’s latest blog post about the event here). Michelle also read from Vessels; it is beautifully written and poignant, evidenced by many eyes in the room wet with tears.

Michelle and I met earlier that week at a local Starbucks where we have sat many times hatching strategies for how ArtSpark could support her creative work. I congratulate Michelle for a a very successful ArtSpark campaign — she raised not only dollars and a gifted plane ticket to an important writers conference in Washington D.C., but ignited true community support and commitment to her as an artist.

I could go on in this very blog post and list all the many, many things that we both learned about what worked, what didn’t work and what could change re: her ArtSpark campaign. I’d rather (and you’d probably rather me, too…) write more on each area over the next two weeks to delve deeper and also to invite discussion and feedback.

So check back on Thursday for Part I: SUCCESSES in Michelle’s ArtSpark campaign for Vessels (and how all artists can learn from her choices). Until then, Viva Michelle, VIVA!