So one of the first tasks is to describe in the broadest, most heroic terms what my website is going to be about. This is ‘The Epic’.

The Epic helps any one on the UNA.IO team who is new to your project get a quick handle on what it is all about.

And it’s been surprisingly hard.

As Einstein said, if you can’t explain something simply, then you probably don’t get it.

It’s my project and I probably don’t get it.

Writing the Epic has made me realise how many vague notions I have floating around this project. It’s like I have bunch of jigsaw pieces laid out on the carpet in front of me. The pieces come from three separate jigsaw pictures, but I’m just trying to complete one.

And I’m still not sure what that ‘one’ looks like exactly.

So the Epic has forced me to focus on exactly who my community is, what their needs are, and what I’m offering. It's time well spent.

This is my first cut. It’s still a little clumsy. What do you think?

Somecoolnametba.com

Mission:

To create space for and encourage artistic relationships and art-rich communities.

The Problem:

Outside the mainstream, it is possible to thrive as an artist if we focus not so much on the “products” we sell, as on the “relationships” we have with the people who enjoy our art. Patreon and their ‘subscription’ support service are a proof of concept.

However, we do not have the tools to reach out to new supporters, or to actively engage with existing supporters. Artist websites are too blunt and non-social, and Facebook Pages are useless and/or expensive.

As experiencers we want to be able to intimately relate to the artists we get excited about, to see into their creative processes, and be part of their artistic conversation. We also want to be able to share our passions with others, and find more acts that inspire us.

The Solution:

This site will be a social network focused on artistic relationships. Somewhere between a personal website, and a facebook for art lovers. It will be a place where artists can:

• Showcase their work
• Network with other artists
• Collate inspiration from other artists or the broader web
• Share insights into their creative practice
• Initiate conversations with their supporters and other artists.
• Monetize their creative endeavours.

The curating tools offered to artists will be offered to everyone, enabling people to construct their own personal galleries, playlists, reading lists etc.

There will be tools to ‘share the love’ so that people who land on one artist’s site will be offered suggestions to similar artists.