ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT...
…The timing has never been better!
I think this is a prime time – a better time then ever before maybe – for you to ask your dream collaborators to work with you.
Yes. This is the perfect time to ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT and shoot for the moon.
Why? Lockdown has obliterated much of the work artists had lined up. This is especially true for artists who specialise in live performance.
Artists want to be engaged in making art. And many have more bandwidth and availability at the moment.
So why not, reach out to your dream collaborators, introduce yourself and see if they might be interested in working with, or supporting you, in some way?!
If that idea gives you a zing, consider who you would LOVE to work with -- these could be artists who are a generations ahead or you, or your peers -- and stay with me.
Here are a few pointers to help you make your approach effectively and respectfully, and my outline of what your emails to them should include.
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POINTERS FOR APPROACHING ARTISTS YOU WANT TO WORK WITH
1. Figure out what you want from them first, and be CRYSTAL CLEAR on it.
Do you want them to give you feedback on something you’ve written?
Do you want them to attend a work-in-progress reading you’re doing, or come onto an application you’re writing, or be part of a workshop?
Would you like them to design your show or compose the score?
Would you like to meet with them & ask them questions about their work?
2. Turn your WANT into a concrete ASK.
Figure out when (date)
Where (location – digital or in-person)
& How you’d like them to work with you.
Make sure the dates and timeframes are clear.
3. Be transparent about renumeration.
If you can pay them, tell them what you can offer them, in clear figures & for what amount of time.
If you can’t pay them, that's okay, but tell them that up front & clearly. Let them know what you can offer (i.e. offer to work around their schedule, or let them know who you’re hoping the audience for the piece will be, what venues or other partners you have on board, or offer them right of first refusal when the project gets funding, etc. If they’re a younger artist, you can highlight potential for exposure.) Tell them how you plan to work towards paying them as & when the project moves forward.
4. Put together a clear, succinct, kind & professional email.
Your email should be less than 200 words and include:
Who you are (1 sentence)
Why you’re reaching out to them (FLATTER them & prove you’ve done your homework) (1 sentence)
What your project is (1-2 sentences)
What you want from them (THIS IS YOUR ASK: when, where, how, time-frame) (1-2 sentences)
What you will give them in return ($£/in lieu of that) (1 sentence)
Let them know if you’ve attached any additional info about the project (i.e. 1-pager, longer desc., image, web link, etc) (1 sentence)
Sign-off kindly (HINT: rather than “I look forward to your reply” go for “I appreciate you reading this far. If you happen to be interested, I’d be thrilled to hear back from you.”)
Include your contact details (email, phone number + website if you have one)
5. Hit send, pat yourself on the back (!!) & keep creating your art.
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“Oh but Haley, what if it doesn’t work out? What if they don’t reply?”
I hear you. That’s the risk you run when you ask for what you want.
You might feel embarrassed or vulnerable afterwards. But all feelings are temporary. They will pass. As Rilke instructs us:
“Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final." - Rainer Maria Rilke
And sure, the other “bad” thing that may happen is that nothing changes. They don’t reply. While this outcome is annoying, it’s actually no different than the circumstance you are in now. In other words, you haven’t lost anything.
So dare yourself to ask for what you wish for.
If you’re met with disappointment, feel it and then keep moving. Keep working on your projects. Research more potential collaborators. Refine your ask. Ask someone else.
The more chances you take, the more you increase yours odds of getting what you want.
GO FOR IT.
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