You know the thing I’ve been promising for weeks (months?), I’m launching it.
Two weeks ago, this was not where I was heading. My plan had only a little to do with specific cartoons or guides. Basically, the thing was going to be a stretched out and really specific workshop on developing web savvy.
Then I came up with the crazy notion that I should ask you about your struggles. Which, of course, changed everything. It was like a little reminder of the things you have been telling me for years. Two things specifically.
1. You want help communicating with your audience. You use my cartoons. You need more, but they need to be specific.
So specific, that they don’t really fit my blog. But getting those cartoons is really important to you, because they would help you engage your students, colleagues, clients, stakeholders, readers, etc., etc., etc.
2. You want technical help. With the web, data visualization, data collection, or something else. You need really specific technical help. Because you’re all in different places right now, your questions are so specific that they don’t really fit my blog.
The technical help you need isn’t all that complicated. It’s usually something really practical and I often know the answer. But I never would have thought to talk about it, until you asked. Sometimes it’s even just a plea for a little moral support, or confirmation that you’re heading in the right direction. I like helping with that too.
So what is the thing I’m launching exactly?
Well, I’ve joined something called Patreon. It’s kind of like kickstarter, but for ongoing creations.
You pledge monthly support, I reward you with stuff I create. I’m going to use the platform to create and share a lot of cartoons and ebooks, with the occasional animation thrown in for good measure.
This is going to give me a chance to get really specific. The buy-in is super low (I’m going to give you all my cartoons and let you make requests, even if you just give me a dollar a month). I’m charging, because if I’m going to put my heart into something for you, I want you to be a true supporter, not just the casual online passerby.
My continuous workshop
I’m also starting a workshop where I’ll offer really specific technical help. Each month there will be a new topic (or topics) based on input from the group. I’ll create guides and activities, then hold monthly webinars in order to open up the discussion.
I’m really excited about the workshop part of all this, so hopefully at least one of you will sign up.
My Patreon page
In addition to helping me create lots of new stuff, your support will help me run my side projects (i.e. Eval Central) and launch a few more that I’ve wanted to launch but lacked the funds to get off the ground. It won’t take all the much, and I know it’s a cliche, but every little bit really would help.
This is my page (click to visit). You can check it out there, or read about it below. There’s even a brief animated video introduction. If you could share the page with your colleagues, I’d really appreciate it.
Want more specifics? Here’s what I wrote on my Patreon Page.
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Hey everyone, my name is Chris Lysy. I create cartoons, animations, and ebooks that help introduce complicated concepts and spark discussion.
This space is focused specifically on your needs. You often reach out to me looking for help, this is my attempt to respond more efficiently and effectively while providing a mechanism to make all of my projects much more sustainable (especially freshspectrum and Eval Central).
Check out the video above to learn more about Patreon and my motivation.
Cartoons by Request
With just a dollar pledge you’ll get access to my Patreon activity feed where I’ll be posting a lot of cartoons. You also get to make requests. Think of me like a cartooning DJ, I’ll do my best to make sure everyone is happy.
Animations
If I start seeing a lot of similar cartoon requests, I’ll add in an animation for good measure.
Ebooks and Guides
Occasionally you want something with more depth than a cartoon. I also help lots of people with tech, social media, and data stuff (visualization, analysis, collection).
At five dollars you’ll get personal access to any ebook or guide I create. And just like the cartoons, you can make requests.
Oh, and if you want to pass them out to students, colleagues, or clients. I’ve got an option for that too.
Ongoing Workshop/Support Group
Sometimes you need help, direction or just a little motivation. Each and every month I’ll hold a webinar or two focused on specific topics around tech, social media, and data. It’s going to be guided by input from the group with the aim of improving your practice. It will never be super formal and always include a good amount of Q&A.
At 25 dollars you’ll get access to live sessions and recorded ones (as they become available). I’ll ask for questions before hand, so even if you can’t make it to a particular session, you can check back for answers.
I’ll be capping this one for now (could change later), but if you’re interested and there are spots, I suggest you jump in.
One on One
If you want hour long monthly one on one sessions, this is the one for you. But, just note, this has a really small cap and will likely stay really small.
Thank You
Your support, whether a $1 or a $125, will make a big difference, for my cartooning and other side projects. Pledges are not collected instantly, instead you’ll be charged at the beginning of each month. There’s no commitment necessary; you can jump up, down, or out at anytime.
Let me know if you have any questions,
-Chris
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