One of Many Postcard

13/1/2021

Not quite a postcard!

In 2019 I joined a Kickstarter Campaign to support the creation of a mini 3D press through the Open Press Project. Long story short, it finally arrived in October and I had a wonderful day in the studio printing a pile of mini bees from etching plates made years ago. Perfect timing to join in with the November edition of #oneofmanypostcard - an initiative organised by John Pedder on Instagram.

The idea is to collectively support the many organisations that suffer from underfunding and also to spread some happiness in these difficult times.
Artists around the world offer their artwork for free on instagram using the hashtag #oneofmanypostcard and you are asked to message the artists to be added to the list of recipients. When it arrives (if you are chosen - this is getting so popular that many artists are simply choosing to put names in a hat) you decide what the artwork is worth to you and donate that amount (or something you can afford, such as your time) to your favourite charity as and when you can.

So what do I get out of this? To be honest that is really difficult to quantify but it was so much more than I anticipated. Apart from the feel good factor of doing something worthwhile and receiving lots of positive messages about my etching, I also gained a number of new followers who decided to buy my drawings in the run up to Christmas. One of the instagram posts reached over 8500 accounts (of which 7000 were not following me) and generated 275 profile visits. It also brought connections with other instagrammers that I may never have met - this is the bit that's so difficult to measure.

Suffice to say, it was worth it, so much so that I took part again in January with a little butterfly print.

If you haven't heard about the initiative, search #oneofmanypostcards on instagram (scroll to recent). It may be a few months before the next round happens (there are timings and deadlines) but do have a look at the generous artists who have taken part and follow the hashtag to be ready.