400 to 1

I’ve just begun the next phase of the “Make an Artist a Millionaire” project, and the working title is “400 to 1.” The project entails writing a letter to each of the people on the Forbes 400 list (i.e. the wealthiest individuals in the US) and asking them to donate to MAAAM. Collaborating on this project will be my stepmom, who has a lot of experience and success in university development. It was she, in fact, who planted the seed for “400 to 1”: after listening to me describe MAAAM, she made the offhand comment “Honey, it would be easier for you to get one person to write you a check for a million dollars than to get a million people to each give you a dollar.”

What at first seemed simply like a euphemism for “your project will never succeed” grew into, if not a more effective approach to getting the million, at least an interesting challenge. More interesting than asking people over and over for a dollar. Rather than sending a form letter to each of the Forbes 400, I’ll research each one and craft a personalized plea. The project seemingly will be more about sussing out human nature and understanding how to get through to the kind of person who, on the surface, couldn’t be more different from the average artist: the business person. The same challenge of asking for something in return for nothing that exists on the lower end of the scale of quantity–$1–will presumably be amplified many times in approaching millionaires and billionaires. So, like many of my projects, I’m really taking on the impossible, with the odds stacked against me.

Almost certain failure means a greater chance for glory, right? As I’ve always suspected, though, the real matter of the MAAAM project is the psychological aspect. People give up small amounts of money all day every day, willingly and unwillingly. The question is, why do they do it? The least that could emerge from “400 to 1” is that we learn a great deal about human nature and about the society we currently live in. As I said, my stepmom (who I won’t name just yet, lest she want to remain free from the search engines) will be collaborating on drafts of the letters. For now, I’ll simply post research material about each person followed by the final draft of the letter that gets sent. Hopefully soon I can interview my stepmom and other individuals who have insight into the subjects that arise during the project.

Though each letter is addressed to a member (is that the right term?) of the Forbes 400, it has other audiences: the personal assistant who will decide whether to pass it on to the boss, my friends and fellow artists, the readers of my blog, and hopefully a wider public. The tone of these letters will not be one of supplication, since becoming a millionaire is not a matter of life and death, nor is it a question of seeking charity. To be an artist, writer, or musician in 2012 is to be part of a business that doesn’t function as successful, healthy businesses do. It’s being asked to follow the rules of commerce, but with little likelihood that you will prosper from it.

“400 to 1” may ultimately be a process that allows all of us creative types to rewire our brains from that of the milquetoast to that of the hard-ass. How do the successful think? How do you get some money and then use it to structure your life according to how you think it should be? Why on earth would anyone ever give me a million dollars?

Throughout this project, which at minimum will take 18 months, I encourage comments and any input from you! Just as each letter is structured not as a yes-or-no question but as the beginning of a process, this entire project is a dialogue and an attempt to expand our notion of what is desirable and possible for the life of the artist.