the glow of giving it away
two days left to nominate a neighbor for a #microgrant
want to feel better immediately? give something away! anything! big or small, the old koan holds true.
after last month’s complaint fest, i am feeling so much more hopeful. partly, i have been buoyed by the many of you that wrote in with very specific encouragements for my work. but i have also been lifted because i have begun to read through the nominations that have come in for the KISS OFF KISS #microgrants.
in case you missed it: digital versions of my new album KISS OFF KISS have been “Pay What You Want / Pay What You Can” since the record release in september. and i am giving away all the money that comes in through bandcamp and my store. note that spotify, apple, and youtube have no mechanisms for this kind of joy. coincidence? i think not.
but here’s the extra layer of awesomeness to this project: i am giving the money away in $500 #microgrants to people that you nominate. some folks have written in to nominate themselves, and i have suggested they consider nominating someone else. asking for yourself is not the goal of this project, however worthy that you may be. KISS OFF KISS was made because someone surprised me with a check in the mail, an unrestricted amount of money to do whatever i wanted with. i needed it, but i didn’t ask for it, and i certainly didn’t expect it. that person’s quiet generosity changed my life. and if you have enjoyed KISS OFF KISS, it changed yours too.
now, this is the part where things get awesome. people are nominating family members and best friends who are having a hard time, local community activists who could use a little extra, folks they barely know but whose energy and spirit has made an impact on them. the nominations have come from all across the country, with so many different kinds of folks represented. because i am also not giving to organizations, i am hearing about very personal connections, neighbor to neighbor, and getting hands on with other people’s good wishes for their fellow community members. i can’t tell you how rad it is to read email after email where someone tells me just how great their nominee is.
the project closes on december 15, so there is still time to nominate someone or to put some more money in the pot. i haven’t done a final tally yet, but i think we’re looking at at least 7 microgrants!! incredible!!
i’ll start reaching out to recipients shortly after december 15, and all money will be distributed before the end of the year. i’ll announce the final amounts and anonymized recipients via social media and this newsletter in early january 2022.
nominate by sending an email: erin@erinmckeown.com including your name, the nominees name, information about why you are nominating them, and a contact for them.
“Pay What You Want / Pay What You Can”: bandcamp / my store.