Thank an artist
Contrary to what you may think, artist's don't make a lot of money. I am going to over simplify a very complicated issue, but stick with me on this.
Writers: A writer can spend anywhere between a year to twenty years working on a single book. Let's say they are lucky enough to get published (I won't share the statistic for that, it's pretty depressing), then the money comes rolling in... Um, no. For every $25 hardcover book that is sold, the author will get about $2.00.
The other $23 is split between the store and the publisher. Is this fair? Well, for every book there are lots of people at the publishing company who worked on it to get it on the shelf. And the store has to employ people to sell the book. Pretty much only leaving the creator of the book with $2.00 per book.
Expect that some authors get an advance. This is money the publisher pays the author up front. Let's say the author gets $20,000 advance. WOW that's a nice chunk of change... well not really, look at how long the author spent writing the book. Anyway from that $20,000 the author will most liking need to hire a publicist to promote the book, because the publisher has a lot of other books to promote too. So now author got a whole lot less money. And author has to pay his or her agent as well and maybe a lawyer too.
AGAIN THIS IS A MASSIVE OVER SIMPLIFICATION OF A VERY COMPLEX ISSUE.
On average there are about 100,000 books published every year. Only 20 authors make millions of dollars.
For a pretty fun video about what it takes to be a writer--- forts are involved.
Music is even worse. For every Lady Gaga or Faith Hill, or Britney Spears or Rolling Stones, or Bruce Springsteen or Green Day, there's hundred or thousands of musicians trying to get by.
Do you remember those long car trips you used to take with your parents? Five or six hours in a car just to get to your aunts house? Being in a tour band is like that, but a billion times worse.
Ok now imagine your in a van, with seven other guys (the fives guys in the band, the merch guy and your manager) you drive five to six hours a night to get to a gig, where you might make $100 a night and hopefully your fans will buy enough tee shirts so you can have gas money to get you to next gig. They do that 300 shows a year! And THAT'S WHERE THEY ARE MAKING ALL THEIR MONEY. Bands will make about a dollar per CD that is sold.
So why do artist put themselves through all this? For you.
Fans.
Fans are the life blood for artist.
They write, sing, act, paint, dance because they want someone to feel something. They will never know unless you tell them.
Event:
I've e-mailed writers before because I've really enjoyed their writing. I wrote to John Green and Tiffanie Debartolo and since by now you should know how much of a spaz I am, I'm not going to share the letters. I will say that Tiffanie Debartolo wrote back in about a day and I will buy every book she writes for the rest of her career. John Green is very busy---he's a brand new daddy.
When it comes to musicians, I comment whenever a band I love posts something on Myspace or Facebook. It takes ten seconds and at least they know someone out there is reading and cares. I'm off to write an comment Motion City Soundtrack to tell them how amazing their new CD is. I also commented on Socratic's post that they were practicing for a new album. I said, "Your music makes me happy, good luck on your new album."
Reaction:
Socratic PERSONALLY responded back to me. They thanked me. They said, "Erinn: thank you. We're Excited!"
Now I'm off to buy their first album. I have their second album... it's fun and every song makes me smile.
Don't know, but I'd like to think that all the artists do a little dance of joy whenever their in-box gets a happy note from someone. I know I do. Seriously I check my e-mail like a hundred times a day whenever I post something up.
What's the lesson? If you like what someone is doing... tell them. The second round of Project Nice would never have happened if I didn't get such positive feedback from people.
Would I do this again: YES!
Cost: Nadda
Effort: Sometime it did take a little while to track down a valid e-mail address
Time: anywhere between 10 seconds to write a quick comment on facebook to 20 minutes to write a letter.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Day 33- Make the Bathroom Nicer
Make the Woman's bathroom at work slightly nicer.
OK I don't like using public bathrooms. I really don't like using the bathrooms at school/work because I have a deep rooted fear of being locked in the bathroom, on a Friday night, and being trapped in there over the weekend. Sadly, that is the truth, I don't know where it comes from and I know it's weird but everyone has his or her own hang ups.
Anyway, as a teacher I have trained my body to only go at certain times of the day. Teachers do not have the freedom to leave a classroom whenever nature calls.
The bathroom is functional and recently upgraded from one stall to two. However there is room for improvement.
Event:
I placed a basket of pretty soaps, body spray, trial size perfumes and hand lotions. All of these were gifts given to me and I have no use for them. Many times there have a phantom kind co-work who has left hand lotion and body stray in the bathroom. I don't know who is doing it, but I want to carry on the tradition.
Reaction:
I haven't heard anything- but I did see someone using the hand lotion. I liked to think my co-workers are saying, 'Hey look, stuff to make me smell pretty and a tide pen, and a fancy soap dish... how pretty. That just made my day.'
Would I do it again? Sure if I have more body spray hanging round my house
Cost: None
Effort: I had to carry it into school and hoped that nothing broke
Time: 30 seconds
PS- To the Male Co-workers- I didn't make your bathroom look prettier because I did not want a lawsuit for sexual harassment for entering the men's room. Nor do I want to lawsuit for discrimination for NOT making your room look prettier. If you are concerned about the lack of prettiness in your bathroom, please let me know and I will buy you some pretty soap. But it's not the kind of soap you use, it's the kind that looks and smells nice but is never to be used, not even if you are a guest.
Well, that was a fun one.
To the other Project Nice doers-- um first off... you guys need a name... so pick a name. Something cool but fits in with the theme of being nice, but nothing lame.
Your new Mission--- besides being nice, pick out a cool code name for yourself.
OK I don't like using public bathrooms. I really don't like using the bathrooms at school/work because I have a deep rooted fear of being locked in the bathroom, on a Friday night, and being trapped in there over the weekend. Sadly, that is the truth, I don't know where it comes from and I know it's weird but everyone has his or her own hang ups.
Anyway, as a teacher I have trained my body to only go at certain times of the day. Teachers do not have the freedom to leave a classroom whenever nature calls.
The bathroom is functional and recently upgraded from one stall to two. However there is room for improvement.
Event:
I placed a basket of pretty soaps, body spray, trial size perfumes and hand lotions. All of these were gifts given to me and I have no use for them. Many times there have a phantom kind co-work who has left hand lotion and body stray in the bathroom. I don't know who is doing it, but I want to carry on the tradition.
Reaction:
I haven't heard anything- but I did see someone using the hand lotion. I liked to think my co-workers are saying, 'Hey look, stuff to make me smell pretty and a tide pen, and a fancy soap dish... how pretty. That just made my day.'
Would I do it again? Sure if I have more body spray hanging round my house
Cost: None
Effort: I had to carry it into school and hoped that nothing broke
Time: 30 seconds
PS- To the Male Co-workers- I didn't make your bathroom look prettier because I did not want a lawsuit for sexual harassment for entering the men's room. Nor do I want to lawsuit for discrimination for NOT making your room look prettier. If you are concerned about the lack of prettiness in your bathroom, please let me know and I will buy you some pretty soap. But it's not the kind of soap you use, it's the kind that looks and smells nice but is never to be used, not even if you are a guest.
Well, that was a fun one.
To the other Project Nice doers-- um first off... you guys need a name... so pick a name. Something cool but fits in with the theme of being nice, but nothing lame.
Your new Mission--- besides being nice, pick out a cool code name for yourself.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Day 32 Tell someone they are awesome
Tell someone they are awesome.
Done 1-18 (Yes I know it's early but I really needed to change my mood that day)
Yes, it's back, but Be Nice to a Stranger has been renamed to PROJECT NICE!
I think the name is a little bit more catchy.
I'm excited to start this back up again. Mostly because there were things I didn't get around to doing the first time around. This one I've been meaning to do for a while.
Event:
As you all know, I am a teacher. There are some people who I see every day and never speak to. There is one teacher, I've never even said hello to. But every time I see him working with a kid, it makes me happy. Watching him makes me want to be a better teacher. No matter what time of the day it is, he always seems genuinely interested in what the student is saying. He's constantly moving from kid to kid to make sure they fully understand the material. He's what a teacher should be doing.
He's also a first year teacher. He's still hopeful and happy. Please keep in mind I'm not saying that teachers stop being hopeful and happy after the first year, but the zest for job weans a little. Reality slowly creeps in.
I love my job and I can't really imagine doing anything else, but am I as optimistic as I used to be? No way.
But watching him work with a kid, reminds me of the kind of teacher I was and who I wish I could still be.
So I told him that. In a lull moment, I walked over to him and told him that watching him work with other students makes me want to be a better teacher.
Reaction:
Instant smile. We chatted for a few minutes. I got to know one of my co-workers and it made me feel all warm and mushy inside. And that was just how I felt.
Anyone who is new at their job needs constantly reassurance that they are doing the right thing.
Would I do it again: Sure.
Time: 3 minutes
Effort: None
Cost: Nothing.
How's Project Nice going for everyone else?
Done 1-18 (Yes I know it's early but I really needed to change my mood that day)
Yes, it's back, but Be Nice to a Stranger has been renamed to PROJECT NICE!
I think the name is a little bit more catchy.
I'm excited to start this back up again. Mostly because there were things I didn't get around to doing the first time around. This one I've been meaning to do for a while.
Event:
As you all know, I am a teacher. There are some people who I see every day and never speak to. There is one teacher, I've never even said hello to. But every time I see him working with a kid, it makes me happy. Watching him makes me want to be a better teacher. No matter what time of the day it is, he always seems genuinely interested in what the student is saying. He's constantly moving from kid to kid to make sure they fully understand the material. He's what a teacher should be doing.
He's also a first year teacher. He's still hopeful and happy. Please keep in mind I'm not saying that teachers stop being hopeful and happy after the first year, but the zest for job weans a little. Reality slowly creeps in.
I love my job and I can't really imagine doing anything else, but am I as optimistic as I used to be? No way.
But watching him work with a kid, reminds me of the kind of teacher I was and who I wish I could still be.
So I told him that. In a lull moment, I walked over to him and told him that watching him work with other students makes me want to be a better teacher.
Reaction:
Instant smile. We chatted for a few minutes. I got to know one of my co-workers and it made me feel all warm and mushy inside. And that was just how I felt.
Anyone who is new at their job needs constantly reassurance that they are doing the right thing.
Would I do it again: Sure.
Time: 3 minutes
Effort: None
Cost: Nothing.
How's Project Nice going for everyone else?
Sunday, January 31, 2010
NEWS!!!
Tomorrow starts up Project Nice 2.0!!!
Are you giddy with excitement? I am.
This time around it's a little different. I've asked other people if they would join in.
I asked my friends on facebook. My writing group. My co-workers. My students And I posted a discussion at Nerdfighters.ning
Facebook friends= 4 people signed up.
Writing group= 4 people signed up
Co-workers= 8 people signed up
Students= 2 former students signed up
Nerdfighters= 11 Nerdfighters!!!!!
Grand total of people participating: 29.
People who signed up have to complete 7 nice things in 28 days. They will write up the experiance in the same format that I've been doing for the blog.
Then they will ask one friend to do something nice for someone.
Total number of good deeds projected to be accomplished?
30 things by me
29x 7= 203
29 nice need from the friends
Grand TOTAL 262 acts of kindness.
You can see it, but I'm doing a pretty nifty dance in front of my computer.
Questions from an imaginary person on the internet who from this point I will call, Imam Visible. Get it, I'm invisible. Ha!
Imam: Hey, Erinn!
Me: Yes?
Imam: I read your blog, and I didn't sign up, can I still sign up?
Me: Of course you can!
Please e-mail me @ projectnice2.0@gmail.com. I'll send you all sorts of cool information and tips and tricks to being nice.
Imam: Um, Erinn, I'm not exactly what you would call a social person... I don't like talking to strangers, but I do like being nice... what do I do and can I still sign up?
Me: Excellent question... YES you can sign up and my next round of tips will be covering that very topic!
Imam: Erinn, I have one more question?
Me: Yes, how can I help you?
Imam: I dig what you're doing, but I don't really have the time or energy to be nice to people, but I DO want to help you out since you're SO cool and awesome and nice.
Me: ::blush:: why, thank you.
Imam: How can I help?
Me: For starters you can follow the blog by hitting the follow button on the side.
You can also leave me comments-- comments make me VERY happy-- as long as they are nice comments.
You can also follow Project Nice on twitter http://twitter.com/Projectnice2
We'll I'm off to do nice things for someone... I've got to get a jump start on this.
Thanks everyone!
A new logo will debut tomorrow too!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Project Nice's LOGO
I am the first to admit, I have pretty awful Photoshop skills. I used to be kinda OK at it, but that was three year ago and I can't remember how to use the program. So I made possible logos.
Please take a second and tell me which one that sucks the least. Or if you are participating in Project Nice and you have a shred of artistic skill, and you want to make a logo, that could possibly be the greatest thing ever!
Just a few more days until Project Nice starts up! YAY!
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3
Option 4
Option 5
NEW AS OF SUNDAY Option 6
Please take a second and tell me which one that sucks the least. Or if you are participating in Project Nice and you have a shred of artistic skill, and you want to make a logo, that could possibly be the greatest thing ever!
Just a few more days until Project Nice starts up! YAY!
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3
Option 4
Option 5
NEW AS OF SUNDAY Option 6
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Month off
Well it's over, being nice to people. I don't have to be nice any more and the instant I stopped, guess what happened?
Some of you might think, "She's so awesome she continued being nice anyway."
Nope. But I'm flattered you think that of me.
Nope. I reverted. Take this facebook Status update from January 1st.
Dear NOT NICE PERSON * (edited) , if you are an able bodied adult, please do not push your way into the elevator filled with strollers and elderly people and then yell on your cell phone. No one cares you're meeting your friends at the mall, we (the people in the elevator) know you are at the mall, because we were ALL at the mall.... Thank you. It's nice not having to be nice to people like you.* (edited)
Here are some more updates via Facebook:
January 4th
January 6th
What have I learned? I am the crankiest person ALIVE!!!
Seriously, yesterday I yelled at student so loudly the rest of the class peed themselves a little bit.
Ok that was a joke and a hyperbole but still you get my point.
I need to be nice to people.
But why?
1) It gives me a focus and easy attainable goals.
2) It makes me think about something else that isn't HOW COLD I AM. I hate winter and the arctic wind isn't helping much.
3) The most basic answer, being nice to people makes ME feel good.
So I'm going to start it back up again. Being Nice To Strangers will start back up February 1st and continue until my birthday March 2. It's another 30 days.
But this time it's going to be a little different, this time I'm asking for help.
I'm asking people to do 7 nice things for people during February. They will have 28 days to do 7 nice things and write about their experience.
My goal: Turn this whole thing into a book. Show doing how nice things can be very easy and brighten up someone's day.
Not that I'm trying to start up a whole movement or anything but I want to change the name too. From be nice to a Stranger... drum roll please.... Project Nice.
What do you think?
If you're interest in helping out during February and you have NOT already approached me about it... Please leave a comment below.
More info to come soon.
I'm off to design a cool logo with my subpar PhotoShop skills.
Some of you might think, "She's so awesome she continued being nice anyway."
Nope. But I'm flattered you think that of me.
Nope. I reverted. Take this facebook Status update from January 1st.
Dear NOT NICE PERSON * (edited) , if you are an able bodied adult, please do not push your way into the elevator filled with strollers and elderly people and then yell on your cell phone. No one cares you're meeting your friends at the mall, we (the people in the elevator) know you are at the mall, because we were ALL at the mall.... Thank you. It's nice not having to be nice to people like you.* (edited)
Here are some more updates via Facebook:
January 4th
Dear Winter, I'm over it. I'm over the snow and it's prettiness. I'm breaking up with you. It's not me, it's you. You're cold and depressing and I get sick whenever you come to town. Good luck- Erinn
January 6th
Wish I had something clever to say. But sadly I'm too sleepy and sick to be funny.
January 14I am the most tried human being on the planet. Daughter's asleep already, I might take a cue from her and go to bed. Now. right now
What have I learned? I am the crankiest person ALIVE!!!
Seriously, yesterday I yelled at student so loudly the rest of the class peed themselves a little bit.
Ok that was a joke and a hyperbole but still you get my point.
I need to be nice to people.
But why?
1) It gives me a focus and easy attainable goals.
2) It makes me think about something else that isn't HOW COLD I AM. I hate winter and the arctic wind isn't helping much.
3) The most basic answer, being nice to people makes ME feel good.
So I'm going to start it back up again. Being Nice To Strangers will start back up February 1st and continue until my birthday March 2. It's another 30 days.
But this time it's going to be a little different, this time I'm asking for help.
I'm asking people to do 7 nice things for people during February. They will have 28 days to do 7 nice things and write about their experience.
My goal: Turn this whole thing into a book. Show doing how nice things can be very easy and brighten up someone's day.
Not that I'm trying to start up a whole movement or anything but I want to change the name too. From be nice to a Stranger... drum roll please.... Project Nice.
What do you think?
If you're interest in helping out during February and you have NOT already approached me about it... Please leave a comment below.
More info to come soon.
I'm off to design a cool logo with my subpar PhotoShop skills.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Be nice to a stranger month wrap up
31 days of being nice, I'll be honest, there were a few points when I didn't think I was going to make it.
It was never being nice that was the problem, it was coming up with creative and cheap things to do for 31 days.
Do you want to hear the stats?
29 different acts were completed. Being nice to a neighbor was repeated twice, as was buying something for a cashier.
Total cost $57.50 including donating to charity (NOT including buying a gift card for a family in need) $82.50 If you include that.
Total number of days that it cost me something out of pocket? 14 days
Average cost $4.
Total number of days it was FREE to be nice to someone? 17 days (You would think I could have just subtracted to figure that out, but instead I counted. A part of me is very ashamed of that)
Total amount of time spent doing the nice acts: 3 hours, 12 minutes and 30 second. Or 192.5 minutes
Total amount of time in the month of December: 44640 minutes.
Total percent of time in the month of December being nice to people .04%
The total number of people I called/ asked for help to figure out the math on that one: 6
3 math teachers
1 writer
1 Scientist
1 husband
Total number of people this blog impacted that I know of: 227. I told about 150 people about Puppy Sized elephants (all my students and several other people)
I state "that I know of" because the thing about blogging is, you NEVER know who's reading it. I had a grand total of 72 comments over 31 days, I had 22 separate people comment on the blog. Clover and Whofan were the two who commented the most, making up for 20 of the entries. I was the biggest commenter with 12 postings. Comments are the only way a blogger knows you've read it. Comments and followers are the lifeblood for bloggers. Please keep that in mind. There could be lots of other people out there I've made an impact on, but I don't know. Comments make my day just as much as the deeds might have made yours.
Favorite acts of kindness:
Buying coffee- because someone BOWED to me
Buying Medicine- What a HUGE impact that one had on some many different people.
Puppy Sized Elephants- there was an instant smile from every person I told it to.
What I learned:
Being nice is easy, blogging is hard.
I didn't need to be nice to everyone (my students can testify to that one ;-) ) but all I needed to be nice for 30 seconds a day. When I looked at it like, it took a lot of the pressure off.
I am extremely lucky. This experience has made see how blessed I am, to have amazing and excellent friends who are super supportive. Also I am extremely lucky to have the good life I do. People are struggling out there and it isn't just something that's happening far away in some distant country most people can't pinpoint on a map. No, there are people struggling a half a mile from my house. The homeless man and the gentleman who couldn't pay for his meds, both of these event occurred at the strip mall near my house.
I changed my thinking every time I left my house. I was constantly on the lookout for something nice to do. I was little bit more aware of people around me. They stopping being 'things that were in my way' and became people, humans, with all the feelings and emotions I have.
Every action I did, I stopped and thought, "was the good enough to blog about?" Often times, I said "No. This is just me being the person I am, or this is what a civialized human being SHOULD be doing."
Yes, some of the examples were slightly larger then life, and meant going of my way, but most of them weren't.
.04% of the entire MONTH was spent being nice to people and look at the impact it made.
So will I do this again?
Yes.
I will keep the blog up. I'm not going to update it every day. No, but whenever I go out of my way to be nice, I'll update it.
Better yet.
It's new years, it's time to make those resolutions. Maybe you pick being nice to someone once a week as your new year's resolution. If you write it up (That's the part that takes the most time) and e-mail it to me, I'll post it here.
email- benicetoastranger@gmail.com
If you liked my writing, and you want to check out more, you can follow my other blog. It might not be as uplifting but I think it's funnier.
Thank you so much for sticking with me on this one. Thank you thank you thank you thank you.
It was never being nice that was the problem, it was coming up with creative and cheap things to do for 31 days.
Do you want to hear the stats?
29 different acts were completed. Being nice to a neighbor was repeated twice, as was buying something for a cashier.
Total cost $57.50 including donating to charity (NOT including buying a gift card for a family in need) $82.50 If you include that.
Total number of days that it cost me something out of pocket? 14 days
Average cost $4.
Total number of days it was FREE to be nice to someone? 17 days (You would think I could have just subtracted to figure that out, but instead I counted. A part of me is very ashamed of that)
Total amount of time spent doing the nice acts: 3 hours, 12 minutes and 30 second. Or 192.5 minutes
Total amount of time in the month of December: 44640 minutes.
Total percent of time in the month of December being nice to people .04%
The total number of people I called/ asked for help to figure out the math on that one: 6
3 math teachers
1 writer
1 Scientist
1 husband
Total number of people this blog impacted that I know of: 227. I told about 150 people about Puppy Sized elephants (all my students and several other people)
I state "that I know of" because the thing about blogging is, you NEVER know who's reading it. I had a grand total of 72 comments over 31 days, I had 22 separate people comment on the blog. Clover and Whofan were the two who commented the most, making up for 20 of the entries. I was the biggest commenter with 12 postings. Comments are the only way a blogger knows you've read it. Comments and followers are the lifeblood for bloggers. Please keep that in mind. There could be lots of other people out there I've made an impact on, but I don't know. Comments make my day just as much as the deeds might have made yours.
Favorite acts of kindness:
Buying coffee- because someone BOWED to me
Buying Medicine- What a HUGE impact that one had on some many different people.
Puppy Sized Elephants- there was an instant smile from every person I told it to.
What I learned:
Being nice is easy, blogging is hard.
I didn't need to be nice to everyone (my students can testify to that one ;-) ) but all I needed to be nice for 30 seconds a day. When I looked at it like, it took a lot of the pressure off.
I am extremely lucky. This experience has made see how blessed I am, to have amazing and excellent friends who are super supportive. Also I am extremely lucky to have the good life I do. People are struggling out there and it isn't just something that's happening far away in some distant country most people can't pinpoint on a map. No, there are people struggling a half a mile from my house. The homeless man and the gentleman who couldn't pay for his meds, both of these event occurred at the strip mall near my house.
I changed my thinking every time I left my house. I was constantly on the lookout for something nice to do. I was little bit more aware of people around me. They stopping being 'things that were in my way' and became people, humans, with all the feelings and emotions I have.
Every action I did, I stopped and thought, "was the good enough to blog about?" Often times, I said "No. This is just me being the person I am, or this is what a civialized human being SHOULD be doing."
Yes, some of the examples were slightly larger then life, and meant going of my way, but most of them weren't.
.04% of the entire MONTH was spent being nice to people and look at the impact it made.
So will I do this again?
Yes.
I will keep the blog up. I'm not going to update it every day. No, but whenever I go out of my way to be nice, I'll update it.
Better yet.
It's new years, it's time to make those resolutions. Maybe you pick being nice to someone once a week as your new year's resolution. If you write it up (That's the part that takes the most time) and e-mail it to me, I'll post it here.
email- benicetoastranger@gmail.com
If you liked my writing, and you want to check out more, you can follow my other blog. It might not be as uplifting but I think it's funnier.
Thank you so much for sticking with me on this one. Thank you thank you thank you thank you.
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