52 suburbs: August 2011

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Kickstarting 52 Suburbs Around the World

Four days ago I blogged about my next project, 52 Suburbs Around the World - as if it was a done deal, I realise
now. So apologies if you assumed it's full steam ahead. My mistake. I'm just so excited about the project
I think I got a little ahead of myself.

So let me rewind a little. The good news is, it's a project that I reckon will be amazing, to do and to
follow. As evidenced by all the great responses - thank you all so much for your fantastic suggestions.

The less than great news is, before the project can take off, it needs funding. Hence my reference
to the moola bit at the end of the last post. I said I would explain where the cash is coming from to
make 52 Suburbs Around the World a reality - so let me explain.

I'm hoping to raise the necessary funds by a couple of methods. The first one is from corporates
- so yes, that would mean some advertising on the blog page. I would limit the sponsors to ensure they
were in keeping with travel, photography, design, that sort of thing.

The second way I'm hoping to make 52 Suburbs Around the World a reality is through something
called Crowd Funding. It is as it sounds - a crowd that funds. There are various platforms to do this -
I've chosen one called Kickstarter.

I'm madly putting together a Kickstarter page that I can direct people to but it takes some time and I
didn't want to wait any longer before I let you know exactly what's happening. But here's an excerpt from
the page that should help to explain:

"Before we can all fasten our seatbelts onboard the virtual 52 Suburbs Around the World private jet,
there’s just one thing. Moola. Cashola. The folding stuff. I self-funded 52 Suburbs by being frugal for a
year and increasing my mortgage. This time around I can’t do it on my own - my piggy bank is officially
empty and this is a much more ambitious, expensive project.

So I’m asking for your help. Unless I can drum up sufficient funds, 52 Suburbs Around the World will
remain stranded on the tarmac."

So yes, Crowd Funding is basically a sophisticated form of donating to help get projects like mine off
the ground. But unlike passing the hat around, with Crowd Funding you receive various 'rewards'
depending on how much you give. They range from a simple acknowledgement to prints and various
other things. And of course everyone would be rewarded with another year long virtual adventure
with a weekly burst of new to brighten up their day.

Look, to be honest, I'd much rather be able to wave a magic wand and whisk us all away without
having to ask for help. But the reality is this project won't happen without help.

I am so sorry if my former post led you to believe it was imminent and all organised. As I said I'm so
excited - and strangely confident - that I just sort of glossed over that one tiny enormous fact.

Once my Kickstarter page is up and running I'll give you the details. In the meantime, if you're curious,
you can check out how it all works here.

Of course I'm loving - not - the fact that I'm about to launch a fund-raising campaign just as GFC II is
about to rear its very ugly head. But you know, if it does, I guess there'll be an even greater need for
escape from the everyday via a project like this one. Here's hoping anyway!

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Introducing Project # 2

Well hello, long time no post. I've spent the last month doing a few final 52 Suburbs talks and various
other things but where I've spent most of my energy is in my head - thinking upon the Next Project.

I could do this, I could do that. No, this, that. And so on and so on. Where have I ended up? Where I
began really, all those months ago when I was asked what my next project would be.

So without further ado, meet our next adventure - 52 Suburbs Around the World. Yep. Having talked
down the whole overseas travel thing in favour of exploring one's own city I am now hell bent on
leaping off around the planet. Why? Because having discovered just how rewarding it is to experience
the 'real' side of a city, I'm now extremely keen to do the same thing in other major cities.

Basically I've realised I'm a crap tourist - I just don't get a lot out of following the tourist trail and
just seeing all the famous bits. 52 Suburbs was all about ignoring the icons and interacting with 'real'
Sydney. What would that experience be like in other cities I wonder?

For example, I don't get Paris. Been twice and just don't know what all the fuss is about. Mon dieu
indeed. But I reckon if I went beyond the Eiffel Tower and the waiter who serves me my croissant,
and explored the suburbs, I'd have a much more interesting time.

I hope you agree. Because as much as I want to do this, it's really important to me that you also want
you to do this. I can't even imagine doing it without you. A virtual private jet filled with everyone who
followed 52 Suburbs, picking up new passengers as we wend our way around the globe -
that's how I imagine this.

So here's the plan. We (you, me and Coco, my now eight year old) will visit 12 iconic cities over the
space of a year - we'll stay in each city for approx one month, visiting one suburb each week.
12 x 4 = 48, so a few cities will have a few extra suburbs.

The format will be the same as 52 Suburbs - a weekly post with images, the majority of which will
be diptychs (two images married together). There will also be video from time to time.

Since it's a new project, there will be a new blog site. Unless instructed otherwise I'll migrate all
subscribers over there automatically when the time comes.

The big question is, which 12 cities do we visit and explore suburbs in? I'd love to know what you
think. Some ideas below, from my day spent wandering around asking random people what they'd
like to see.

And lastly, where's the moola coming from to do all this? Details to come in the next post...

Excited??!!