Quit slating Peaches - this isn't a beauty contest.
No, I'm not talking about looks, style or dress sense - I'm talking art. Peaches Geldof was kind enough to draw a picture for the One Million Masterpiece a few weeks ago, but has since come in for some criticism for her contribution. I know that some people have nothing better to do than comment on other people, but at least do it quietly while the rest of us actually get things done.
The picture in question is a perfectly executed sausage-horse complete with rider and an assortment of names and initials. The image was reproduced by the Times and commented on in a whole range of UK publications. The Daily Mirror's 3am girls described the picture as a kid’s doodle and urged her not to give up the day job. More seriously, numerous forum threads and emails have questioned her position as a Sunday Telegraph arts columnist and slated her £15,000 a year education.
Now I know it's just a bit of fun, and these comments are easily forgotten, but I don’t want them to ride over the main message of the project. The point is that what Peaches has drawn is just as valid as every other picture, because it says something about her. It is a valid viewpoint of this world, and in capturing the way she drew it we have preserved a precious and intimate moment in time - just one of one million that we are attempting to capture. Equally important is the fact that Peaches has generated the charity a whole load of publicity which is precisely the point in asking her to contribute. In the area so skilfully inhabited by her father, Peaches has shown that she can use her status to publicise global causes and play a role in making this world a slightly better place.
I congratulate Peaches and sincerely thank her for her contribution. And if you still have a problem with her picture then sign-up and tell her yourself - just quit emailing me!
The One Million Masterpiece
Escape to the Lakes
I managed to escape to the Lake district last week for some much needed family time. Here's me holding Ava on a massive rock...
Ways that you can help
I've been so please with the offers of help we've received - it seems like there are a lot of people out there who want this project to succeed. We've got a long road ahead, so here are some practical ways that members of the OMM you can help.
1) Build links. Paste you image on forums, on websites, on blogs. If you are a member of a forum, start a thread about the project. If you have a MySpace or similar web presence, use it to display your image and to encourage people to join. Remember to send out bulletins to your friends on these sites!
2) Email friends and family. Remember that anyone is invited to join the One Million Masterpiece. Email your friends and family and ask them to join. Know someone in Timbuktu? Ask them to join too – the more far flung the better.
3) Write a news post or article. Want to write an article about your picture, or comparing different pictures? Think you have something to say about art, digital art, collaborative art? Want to write a how-to guide? All members are welcome to submit stories or articles for publication on the news blog. Send them to hello@millionmasterpiece.com
4) Send messages to your fellow artists. Welcome newcomers, introduce yourself to your neighbours and encourage the black squares to draw something!
5) Join the team. We welcome anyone that wants to get more involved. Maybe you have some expertise that you can share (website design, website marketing, application development, writing, forum administration, link building etc.). We are a voluntary team and would welcome any help offered!
Link:
Ways the you can help
More PR and selling restaurants
I’ve just had a manic few days. The charity project has been steady this week, but we’ve had a bit of a lull in the PR work while we consolidate and regroup. You learn such a lot in such a small space of time when launching something totally new and you need a chance to sit back and evaluate.
One of the main things I’ve learnt is that online media is key to the success of this project. When we get high profile news stories or blog entries traffic and sign-ups spike – and remain strong for days after. Print and radio coverage however have a much softer impact – increasing background traffic but at a lower level. So the focus must be on online coverage, at least for now.
We also need to implement a Paypal donation option. I sent out emails to everyone that had abandoned the sign-up process, and lack of a Paypal option was top of the list.
The other major thing that happened yesterday was the sale of one of my restaurants. At the end of last year a series of external events (retail downturn, major building works, new competitors etc) had made trading very difficult for this shop. For months we have had one very strong shop and one very weak one – and it was a dangerous situation. The sale has dragged on and on, but finally completion took place yesterday.
It’s tempting to sit back and relax when something like this happens, but there’s no time for that! I now need to pour all of my energies into the charity project and start building momentum.
