Will you be my 'FRIEND WITH BENEFITS'?
I have been living solely off my art for over 30 years. I am quite proud of that. And rightly so, I think. When they ask me how it goes—living as an artist—I always answer with the witticism: "There are moments when I could buy a swimming pool, and there are moments when I am very glad I didn't."
OK, those last moments turn out to be in the majority ;-)
It would be nice if I could continue to throw myself fully into my work. That I can keep creating, amazing people, conjuring smiles, surprising. Myself first and foremost.
A little peace and quiet here and there would be nice, and that’s how I came up with the idea: why not FWBs? Several preferably; let’s just make it a poly story ;-) After all, many small things make a big difference, right?
It is simple: you promise to deposit a fixed amount per month for at least one year (12 months). This is possible from as little as €6 per month.
And there are benefits in return...
Blinkend Brons
one lottery ticket/giclée per commitment of €6/month/one year.
Stand a chance to win an original drawing worth €950.
(2 x 6.- = 2 chances, etc.)
For every commitment of ' 6.-/month/for one year ', you receive a ' lotto ticket '. Well, 'lotto ticket' sounds a bit humble: it is a small (10 x 10 cm) giclée print – limited, numbered, and signed – of a 'Geert Hautekiet drawing'. So, you receive a piece of Hautekiet art regardless. Your number is also your lotto number. With *that* number, you stand a chance to win an original Geert Hautekiet drawing (not a print, an original!) worth 950.- euros.
You then become a 'shining bronze' Friend with Benefits (FWB).
If you commit to '6.-/month/one year' twice, you naturally have two chances to win, because you also get that second 'lotto number' (and your bronze becomes even shinier). '6.-/month/one year' three times creates three chances, etc...
Would you prefer a 'blissful silver' Friend with Benefits? For every 5 '6.-/month/one year' subscriptions , you receive an extra lottery number on top of the original 5. So, 6 for the price of 5.
Once a year, I send those 'lotto tickets' to all current 'Friends with Benefits' (so BE SURE to write down your address when you sign up!). I then organize a hand-to-hand draw (which is live-streamed) .
Because everyone commits for one year—regardless of when that commitment starts—everyone stands a chance that year. The draw takes place on the same day every year.
Finally, there are the 'glittering gold' Friend with Benefits: from 80.-/month/ for one year. They receive a unique work every year regardless: a very limited (only for FWBs) giclée print of a single drawing (a different one each year).
Naturally, all 'Friends with Benefits' receive an official invoice, in order to handle the FWB terms 'deduct' and 'claim' purely economically and correctly with regard to VAT and taxes...