Things are getting more and more eccentric at Casa de la Swain. Changing styles in my textile work, falling in love again with painting and photography...and then there is the ever illusive quest for continuing creativity through working with Eric Maisel. Still on the road teaching, posting now at the Ragged Cloth Cafe and taking the pledge to keep handmaiden up to date.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Stop Me Quick if You Think this is Crazy

Since I am feeling very alone in cyberspace, I feel safe in posting this. Tonight I was looking through the month's Artist Magazine. In the bottom right hand corner of the page was an ad for a dvd magazine......whoa...halt....stop. We have all the equipment and processors to do this type of magazine for the art quilt/quilt world in general. It lit a fire in my beady little mind. Sweet Ronnie ran for the other room as fast as he could with the refrain...."you might be getting in too deep."
However, I see this as a perfect outgrowth of the instructional dvd's.
It is obviously only one disc. It contained a feature artist, and interview and a technique section.....that's about all one disc could hold. It could come out quarterly or three times a year. No searching for advertisement since I have already paid for the start up cost. However, if they came to us once it appeared viable I might consider it.
There are plenty of contacts at my disposal. Please show me the downside....okay, time but I have an editor and a shopping cart site already set up. We could take subscriptions or you could just buy each time a new issue became available on the website. What am I not seeing?
Help! Is this a totally crazy idea or do you think it might fly?

5 comments:

Jeannie said...

I think it is a great idea. (Easy for me to say since you are doing all the work!) Your DVD's are of a high quality and fun and this seems like a natural next step. Would your interviewee's expect to be paid like they would if they submitted to a magazine? How would your article selection process work? Would they travel to you to be interviewed? (I am trying to play devil's advocate, but it is hard because it is a great idea!) Bonnie L. started QNL at her dining room table . . . Good luck!

Julie Zaccone Stiller said...

Totally worthwhile idea Gabrielle. Would it be aimed at the market to replace Art Quilt Magazine? That was so well produced and I was sad that it fizzled out. Quilting Arts Magazine while really great and inspiring isn't a substitute and there is still that market out there. I think it would be viable if you aimed it at that niche. Otherwise, (devil's advocate here) how would you be different than Quilting Arts Mag?

Gerrie said...

Far be it from me to tell you to stop doing something crazy, but I don't think this is crazy. Digital is the new media. Go for it.

Debra said...

I echo those who came before. This is a great idea! Would the DVD have a filmed interview (like a video podcast?) and how would you actually video all the artists??

Deborah Boschert said...

My friend Gloria Page helps produce IndieArts which is probably the ad you saw. She is an amazing spirit with a great desire to present artists' stories in unique ways! I'm ashamed to say I haven't seen the dvd yet. Have you? I should order it straightaway. Me personally, I like flipping through a real magazine, and yet... here I am surfing blogs for days on end. Go for it!