Arachnoiditis Survivor ~HATCHFUND CAMPAIGN SUCCESSFUL!!!

My Path © Sheila L. Kalkbrenner 

HATCHFUND CAMPAIGN SUCCESSFUL!!!

AWARDED 30 ADDITIONAL DAYS 

TO ACCEPT TAX-DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS

Thanks so much for sharing my project, message, and purpose with the public. 

We have exceeded 

our minimum goal of $2500! 

Raised so far: $2750                    Donors: 26                Project Page Views: 3388
(last updated 6.17.14slk)

“Arachnoiditis Survivor: A Portrait of Resilience against Patient Harm in America is moving forward! 

Over the next few weeks, I will be scheduling interviews and photo sessions with Survivor Volunteers. I am truly looking forward to meeting some of the other survivors, sharing the healing power of art, discussing experiences and ideas about adaptability & reasonable accommodations, and creating an empowered, connected healing community as we increase arachnoiditis awareness and work together to prevent future adverse outcomes. I am excited to explore the creative challenges of building authentic, meaningful, conceptual portraits for this diverse culture of survivors.” ~slk

As a reward for reaching our minimum goal, AIM|Hatchfund has granted an EXTRA 30 days to accept any additional donations. These funds will be distributed on a weekly basis to this Art For Arachnoiditis project.  Please let anyone who intended to donate know they still have time to make a tax-deductible contribution.  

You might remember from the project launch (plan A) that the average cost to travel to each Survivor Volunteer (excluding food) is $565.45. Every additional contribution helps expand the reach of the project & the awareness message by providing supplemental funding for:

Empowering face-to-face interviews with survivors, creating the documentary photo series with fellow Survivors,

publicity & expansion of the public art exhibition of the project images 

 All donations from this point on are guaranteed to be applied to the Arachnoiditis Survivor project.

Any questions about the AIM|Hatchfund organization can be directed to:

 Erin Cooper Program Officer, AIM Hatchfund ecooper@hatchfund.org ph: 877-893-0587

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PROVIDED ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT DURING THIS PHASE OF THE PROJECT! 

You can join us for the rest of this journey by clicking "Follow" on the Arachnoiditis Survivor Hatchfund link and the Art For Arachnoiditis tab at  www.sheilalynnkart.com.

Arachnoiditis Survivors are asked to complete this anonymous survey and return it to the studio by August 15, 2014

Now accepting input from Survivors who are ready to tell their arachnoiditis story. 

 “Although it is a shame that there are so many people in need of this resource, it is exciting and validating to know that many Arachnoiditis Survivors have faith in the empowering benefits of this art project. We are determined to show the faces affected by this hidden adverse outcome.” ~slk 

SheilaLynnK Art Studio    www.sheilalynnkart.com  585-593-4161

345 South Main Street Wellsville, NY 14895  Studio visits available by appointment. 

Growing 2014 Summer Plans

Studio Events/News For the Summer 

STEPPING AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER! Warm weather and sunshine combined with a well-planned balance of horizontal and vertical time is the best prescription for me. I am looking forward to getting back to nature and a few weeks of restorative activities. This is what will be happening while I am AWAY from my "desk". 

May~ 

17th SheilaLynnK Art Studio is a proud sponsor of the Community Action Angels Golf Tournament  at Allegheny Hills Golf Course, Rushford, NY. Those participating will receive a coupon for $10 off their next purchase from the studio. 

31st I will be at Belfast Central School representing BOFA at the Strum ACCORD  event Battle of the Bands to benefit Community Action Angels newest initiative to provide musical instruments to children in need in Allegany County. "The purpose of this event is to exhibit the hard work and dedication of the students in the after school programs. These students have spent all year practicing music of their choice. Our 21st CCLC after school program has a Music Teacher that provides individual and group lessons in vocals, bass, guitar, drums and piano. Of the nearly 80 students who participate, most do not or cannot afford an instrument of their own...STRUM ACCORD is sponsored and coordinated by ACCORD's 21st Century Community Learning Center After School Program.."

"BOFA is proud to support this event. BOFA News, announcements, event schedules and membership information will be available at our vendor table."

June~ "Art For Arachnoiditis Survivors~Step 2" begins. Arachnoiditis is an isolating spinal cord injury caused by the neurotoxins in spinal injections and invasive spinal procedures. This project is designed to empower the Arachnoiditis Survivors through art. As the AIM|Hatchfund campaign comes to a close, I am moving forward while awaiting verdicts from the Photocrati Fund and Creative Capital Grant applications.
Arachnoiditis Survivors are asked to complete this anonymous survey and return it to the studio by August 15, 2014
Now accepting input from Survivors who are ready to tell their arachnoiditis story. 

Art for Arachnoiditis~ Plan A March 20th-May 17, 2014
Plan B Deadline Extended to June 6, 2014

Sample Portrait in progress (graphite on paper)

July~ 31st Deadline for Senior Portrait Orders. $10 from every order for a graduating Senior will be donated to the Arachnoiditis Survivor Portrait Project. 

Check out the All New Package Option: Portrait Package D 

• 16" x 20" graphite drawing ($130)
• Digital, watermark-free, image to share with friends and family ($35)
• Mini 5"X7" Flip-book of images of the work in progress ($25) 
• Project Production DVD of the studio process ($60)

Purchased separately:  $250 

PACKAGE PRICE ONLY: $199 

August~ 31st Deadline for Back to School Portrait Orders

Assorted Project rates and portrait package options are available.

$10 from every portrait order will be donated to the Arachnoiditis Survivor Portrait Project. Check out the portrait gallery Classical and Conceptual Portraits to decide which style is right for you. 

Sample Portrait (graphite on paper)

Support Art for Arachnoiditis or
Become a Sponsor

The Power of a Portrait

Mixed-media Conceptual Self-Portrait In Progress

Self Portrait~It's not you, it's Me.
From exploring themes of Interracial Identity to the modern Selfie, self-portraits are still empowering. 

"From early Greeks to present day, people have used self-study and self-observation to explore identity and sense of self." ~ Pamela Rutledge, Psychology Today











"We're conditioned to believe that external validations is a necessary substitute for self-confidence. Furthermore, to have any positivity toward yourself is deeply stigmatized, policed by accusations of narcissism and superficiality.The real anxiety with girls and selfies is that selfies might provide girls with the means to create their own positive image of themselves, thereby severely diluting the impact of outside opinion....You don't have to apologize for noticing yourself. Drink yourself in. Celebrate yourself. Never feel guilty for announcing your presence. You deserve to fill up space. "~ Erin Tatum

Be Your Own Beloved explores the use of self portraits as a means to self-care. From Frida Kahlo's expression of  suffering to my own survival, self-portraits empower. In the grand scheme of things, let's not forget the convenience and practicality of it.  If you are an artist, painting a self-portrait means that there is always a free model available.

Why Own A Commissioned Portrait? 

If you are NOT an artist, what does it mean to own an artist's rendering of yourself when you could easily have a photograph? If an image is worth a thousand words, what does a portrait say about what's in a name? In modern culture, why is it important for the artist to actually meet the subject instead of just drawing or painting from a digital exchange of images?  

"The fast changing landscape of surveillance and the globalisation of digital imagery calls for the counterpoint of intense, 'local' imagery contained within a painting. The possibilities of allegory and complex meaning are distinct: the symbolic realm can come to the fore. The conveying of character in a painted portrait is specific and dynamic. There is a process described through paint - an intensity to the relationship between artist and sitter - which produces a different character from the medium of photography. And it is this intensity, often freed from the conventions of previous periods which, gives a great portrait its authority." ~Sandy Nairne

Although photographs were a point of reference combined with two studio sittings, Paul Emsley was going to paint Kate Middleton without a smile. Until, he met her. Although the final painting received much public criticism, Kate believed it was a beautiful and authentic depiction of her natural self.

"Rarely are painted portraits judged solely by the accuracy of the depiction. Artists try to eke out the emotional character on the visage of their model...The first step in portraiture is always meeting the client or model."~ Artist Daily

"A photograph image is only a second of life time: Say cheese ...and you'll freeze. So, it may capture the moment but it may not capture the person. Very often we hear, "I am not very photogenic." ...of course YOU ARE. That is what the camera, the heartless tool, does- it takes everything, what is necessary and what is not. This is where the difference between the camera and the artist come into play, because the ARTIST CAN SELECT." ~Igor V. Babailov from Master of Ascending Realism

In my portrait drawings, I combine the use of photography with classical life-drawing skills, training, and practice. This combination, although it does not meet my true aspirations for life-drawing, does aid in overcoming the neurological impairments imposed on me by arachnoiditis. My experience drawing from life prior to the onset of arachnoiditis informs each portrait that I create with an authentic individual character that cannot be achieved simply in an exchange of digital images and information.  

Your tax-deductible contributions obtained via the Arachnoiditis Survivor: Portrait of Resilience project at AIM|Hatchfund will finance a powerful connection between survivors that cannot be obtained in any other way. Upon project completion, these empowering portraits will be displayed in a public exhibition dedicated to Arachnoiditis Awareness and Prevention Efforts. Submit your tax-deductible contribution today. Thank you. 


SheilaLynnK Art Studio is a for-profit business faithfully invested in the healing power of art and dedicated to Community Action. The project budget is available for public review. 

30.4.30? ...because I CAN.

30.30.30 has officially evolved into something else entirely. 
Unlike the 30.30.30 of November 2012, it resembles more of 30.4.30 kind of thing. Thirty days, four projects, thirty minutes each day. 
As a result of this evolution:
I was inspired to create Wishes. 

The "Porch~trait" is now complete and ready for pick up. The painting, Panama, is also complete and retrieved from the Seven Counties Show along with its cohorts, Greenwood Ovation and Confronting Ambivalence. The last of which has found an appropriate home on the wall next to my inversion table. I no longer spend my inverted time contemplating why I feel compelled to perceive an inverted image in its original form. I simply get to enjoy an alternate view of this intentionally open-ended image. 
It is an unexpected relief. 

A Peek Review of my website usability inspired some upgrades and new learning about the needs of viewers visiting art pages. Hopefully, it is now a more user friendly experience. 

I finally bit the bullet and downloaded Gimp to my main PC and am attempting to learn how to use it to design my own collage images for my cover pages as well as, new digital images to showcase posters which combine my photography and poetry. With this technology I will be able to create a digital file that can be easily displayed as a website image in the studio SHOP. This will permit the piece to be printed-on-demand or made-to-order instead of being pre-printed and stockpiled in the studio. 

The fundraising campaign for the Arachnoiditis Survivor Project continues to challenge my networking abilities.

The Bonzai trees are safely tucked in, yet again, as we had snow flurries this morning. Following yesterday's rendition of Let It Grow, Only Grandson's sunflower seeds from the Easter Bunny are safely tucked in their peat pots inside of their plastic-cake-box-terrarium on the studio sun porch. 

The 15 day writing challenge stalled out on Day 2. Out of respect for the wishes of the host, I am not using the project as inspiration for my blog-posts. I elected to see this as a sign that perhaps THIS month is not the time to do this particular project. I do intend to re-visit this idea at a later date. 

As Day 23 comes to a close, I look forward to an all-new-project for an all-new, spontaneous 30 minutes on Day 24. 

In answer to Only Grandson's unexpected question, "Grandma, why do you work here?" I have to say, "because I can."

Art for Arachnoiditis Survivors: Project Sponsors

Anonymous Donation Received the old-fashioned way!
THANK YOU! 

Thank you! 
Your support of this Art and Empowerment Project to Benefit Spinal Adhesive Arachnoiditis Survivors is greatly appreciated. 
This project cannot happen without your help. 










Sponsors 
Listed in the order in which 
donations/contributions were received or ad space was purchased. 

Tier 1 ~  tax deductible contributions
In addition to generous donors 
who have chosen to remain anonymous, contributions have been received from:
Ostrich Products
Ryan Dibble
Sherry Barber
Nikki Lussier
Belinda Knight
Tom Barber
Louise Carboneau Vermeiren
Black-Eyed Susan Acoustic Cafe
Pat Vanden Avond



Tier 2~ $300
An anonymous donor

Tier 3 ~$500
Karen Kovacik Early in memory of Claudine Goze-Weber 


Tier 4 $1000
 An anonymous donor

Benefactors $5,000 and up


Hatchfund Open Match Fund
$100 May 20, 2014


In-Kind Contributions (hours donated)
SheilaLynnK Art Studio  270 hours

Additional Support
Kathleen Decker
Brian Decker
Jane Foster
Karen Dickerson
Terri Anderson
D & S Barber


SheilaLynnK Art Studio is a for-profit business faithfully invested in the healing power of art and dedicated to Community Action. The project budget is available for public review. 

BONZAI!!!! 30.30.30

New addition last year. Unlike the others that
I raised from seedlings, this one was a salvaged
mutilated maple
that was treated as a weed before I found it.

 Since 2008 I have been growing my own indigenous bonzai trees. Because they are from saplings found here, with proper care, they can be left outside year round. 

30.30.30 today was about the "proper care" portion of that. It seems that my Thirty Minutes of Drawing has evolved into thirty minutes of "intentional me time". Which, under the circumstances, seems warranted. When your hobby becomes your job, you need a new hobby.

Bonzai Garden Summer 2013 (top view)

Bonzai Garden Summer 2013 (front view)

The roots of the bonzais are quite fragile. Every fall they must be trimmed. Before the ground freezes they must be covered with sufficient soil and mulch to protect them from the hardships of winter. This has been an exceptionally harsh winter. I am interested to find if they have all survived. The little oak seems to be struggling. The older/larger maples in the back have new buds on them already and will have to be covered tonight before it drops back down to 18 degrees.                       Eventually, I plan to raise them up into a more visible and easily-accessible bed. This will take a little research. It has to be a container that will still keep the roots warm enough in winter. The current location keeps them sheltered from the elements. 

An Opportunity for Connections

If you've been following the blog this year, you will likely remember that I won a position in Jennifer Lee's  Right Brain Business Plan eCourse hosted by Kiala Givehand. I posted my progress with that and the subsequent video challenge here on the blog.

Since launching the Living With Arachnoiditis: Art, Adaptability, and Empowerment project, I have been following the 2014 RBBP Video Summit and decided to apply for the scholarship for the mentoring and networking opportunities available with the Premium Pass. 

Application Q&A

Tell us a little bit about your business in two sentences.

I am an artist and studio owner in Upstate New York creatively striving to participate in the community of life.  With community action goals in mind, I create affordable classical and conceptual fine art for home and business use.

What is next for your business? What are you super excited about?

The main goal at my studio has always been to become a self-sustaining studio which increases my own personal independence while improving my quality of life. It is important to me to create art which has a resonant purpose for the patron.  Now that my studio is established, I am excited, and a little terrified, to be expanding my reach beyond the boundaries of my local community.

What are you currently doing to move toward that vision? (Every little step counts. Keep in mind that I'm very interested in this answer as it lets me know that you're already taking the initiative to make your big vision real.)

I completed the Entrepreneurial Assistance Program and very Left Brain business plan at my local community action agency in 2010. I then purchased my own live/work studio space to allow reasonable accommodations for a new permanent disability. Later my business plan won a small business grant from vocational rehabilitation services. With their assistance, I started my business in 2011.I began following RBBP in 2012. I have recently completed the RBBP eCourse and posted progress and reflections on my blog throughout that process. I have a small following on my studio website (2010), blog(2009), and  Facebook page.

In 2013 I became the artist for the annual Great Wellsville Balloon Rally. My conceptual drawing for the painting, Safe Landing, was selected by the committee to be the painting on all of the T-shirts and posters for that July 2013 event. I joined the Allegany Artisan Studio tours and opened my doors to the public in October 2013.

Having achieved all of my vocational rehabilitation goals, I wasn’t really sure where I wanted to go from there.

I began 2014 by doing the Root 30 Day Journal Project with Lisa Sonora Beam. This progress generated my daily blog post about portions of the process and increased my blog following. Working through this also helped me get back in touch with the things that were truly important to me about having my own studio.

This year I completed the 15 day Zero to Hero video challenge with Holly Sugrue to help me reach my “getting the word out” goals during the RBBP eCourse. This increased my following on Youtube. As the e-Course was coming to a close, I began to expand my use of Pinterest  and Google +. [I also have accounts on Manta, LinkedIn, and Tumbler but do not use them as often. Like many other businesses, I am working toward moving away from reliance on Facebook.]

With the clarity that came with working through the eCourse, I planned and decided to launch a very large project called Living With Arachnoditis: An Art, Adaptability, andEmpowerment Project to benefit fellow spinal adhesive arachnoiditis survivors and increase Awareness and Prevention efforts for this little known condition. After the initial launch of this four-component project on my website and facebook page, I also began my first crowdfunding campaign on AIM|hatchfund to raise the money needed for the travel portion of the conceptual portrait series of this project. 

My studio is an established for-profit business. Campaigning via Hatchfund gave me the option to provide donors/sponsors/benefactors with a tax deductible method to support this project.

What is stopping you?

Although money is always an obstacle that I must find a way to work around, my biggest struggle is re-developing a network. A community of support, “followers,” and patron lists will not grow at a satisfactory rate under my current isolated circumstances. Although I am working on this issue daily, there are significant limits to my own personal reach.

What have been your biggest take aways so far from the summit?

The most important take-away for me has to do with remembering self-care. Without attentiveness to self-care, any discussion about business goals becomes a moot point. My business and my life will literally fall apart if I do not pay attention to what my body tells me to do. I have always been a very driven person. It is easy, and hazardous, for me to fall back into old habits of over-doing it. I am absorbing the tips on ways to incorporate this important topic INTO the big vision.

Next in line is the message about self-image. Having the courage to put your true self out there for public consumption is a huge leap of faith. My own personal struggle to accept the “me” I have to be now, has, at times, gotten in the way of doing that. The RBBP creative cohorts are truly helping me to move beyond that frame of mind.

How do you think the premium pass will help you move forward and how do you plan to make the most of it?

In 2013 I completed my vocational rehabilitation goals. I had reached the limits of the services that they could provide. I believe the continued support of a creative network of like-minded individuals will keep the momentum going for me. The knowledge and experience available at RBBP truly has the potential to fill in the gaps that are causing my business to stagnate at this phase of development. Exchanging knowledge and ideas with a trusted group of courageous people (who really understand how easy it is to get in your own way) is a crucial resource in both the planning and implementation process.