PicsArt Monthly September 2014 | Page 13

Finances As to financing, there are grants. Exceptional projects may be eligible for major funding from the National Endowment for the Arts or Fulbright Scholarships. Many states have their own art and humanities grants and bigger cities have annual granting periods for applicants who are willing to “run the gauntlet”. Organizations that have a vested interest in your idea often provide funds for creative requests: banks, foundations and NGOs are important sources. And in today’s world we are no longer restricted to conventional funding sources. Crowdsourcing with online operators like Kickstarter, GoFundMe.com and Indiegogo are more recent players but are taking up the slack of shrinking philanthropic money. They are not for the faint of heart but more and more artists are taking advantage of direct access to funding for their potential efforts. We all have at least one good idea in us. Long-term projects are a wonderful way to find your photographic voice. You can even refresh your career. Without interference or deadlines you can turn your passion into your future. Photography, being the one true universal language, is the best opportunity to direct your visual arc. PicsArt Monthly |13