Support My Tribe - Helping Others via Art Sales
What is SMT?
On December 16, 2012 I made the decision that I will be directing profits from online sale of my art to friends in need and towards goods needed to continue this project. I have various friends with health issues and other financial issues and every time you buy art on this site you are helping to improve their lives.
I spent the years 1994-2013 as an entrepreneur and I know struggle. I am still paying off a lot of debt but I am fortunate that in that entire time, despite a lot of stress, I have never lacked for shelter or food. After all of that I currently have a good job that helps me live my life while reducing that debt. Anything I make from an art sale is extra income that I want to use to help others in need.
To be clear: If I am hired for pay to do a shoot or spend money to create pieces for a show then I treat that time as a job and may choose to use that income in any way. That said, all sales of art, photography, and canvas prints from this site will be considered part of Support My Tribe and profits will be given to someone I know who is in need. A minimum of 80% of all SMT profits will be directly applied towards the needs of friends; the balance may be used to augment or repair gear to allow me to keep this going.
How do I determine recipients?
Well, that is on me. Since I am not running this as a non-profit venture I will be paying taxes on any SMT income. I will be helping people out as I can, and the faces on the receiving end of SMT will almost certainly change over time. But in short, I get to choose.
Sometimes I will contribute money to someone in need even if SMT doesn't yet have that income and subsequent SMT income can help cover that. I can also foresee there being a small build-up of funds if everyone I know is doing well. I haven't really ever sold a significant quantity of art but I also haven't really been proactive about it in the past. Whether there is a surplus or deficit in actual in-hand money it will all go towards SMT.
"Can I ask you for money?"
I won't say that you can't but my priority for SMT is to help people I interact with on at least a semi-regular casual basis. This will almost always be people I have met at least once in person. Part of my goal with this venture is to encourage other people to share as they can and support other people in need who are outside my own group of friends. So you can ask, but given that funds will be quite limited I can't make any promises.
Current Tribe Targets
8/22/13 - At present I have two people in my sights that will be benefitting from SMT. One has ongoing health and car issues and is on the brink of some very positive career progress. The other also has recently had two significant health issues (with big hospital bills) and her soon-to-be-ex-husband has been delinquent in paying her what's been promised on paper. I have already started to assist and I hope that I can sell some art to help towards their causes. I won't be sharing any more personal information without the specific person's blessing.
How To Take Part
As you check out the pictures on this site you may see green buttons with "Buy...Print/Canvas" text. You can use those buttons to buy my art and the profits will go to SMT. You can also start your own initiatives like this. I won't be able to get to it until January or February but I just registered SupporttMyTribe.com and may be developing that into a more comprehensive community site. If you don't have a specific direction you can start here for Model images, here for some canvas poker artwork, or here for Twisted Poppet art doll shots.