Buy me some hours when I don’t have to work as a model and can instead focus on my art. As a model I make upwards from £20 an hour… to £100 per hour, though the higher end is far less frequent; maybe once or twice a year. £25 – £30/hour is most normal for shorter gigs. For full days in an art school, the rate is less (more like £15).

Pay for me to hire a sound technician to support one of my performances (£45 – £100).

Pay for me to hire a sound artist to create music for my show (considerably more money, thinking hundreds). At the moment I use others’ music, but I would need to pay royalties to use that in a video of my show. At such a small scale I haven’t been concerned, though now do not want to be limited in that way.

There are many other costs I have or potentially will, like getting costumes made, upgrading my Instagram profile, research trips, upgrading this site, technical support…

What can I offer in return? I was never drawn to the monthly tokens suggested by Patreon, not feeling my art fits that mould. Creating regular photo sets or holding zoom sessions for supporters could be draining. My practice takes months to research, write and create performances. During that time I limit my contact with others since it can sap the creative flow. I must be with others for work, and need a lot of headspace outside of that. Jobs which require a lot of talking, or socialising, are best spread evenly and thinly. I can’t always predict when I will be in the middle of writing something, and if I am then a very social job can take all that energy and dissipate it into pointless chat. I have learnt to be quite discerning with who I spend time with and where I work.

Yet there are ways I could give back; but they might not be a standard model. I could babysit, pet sit, house sit; weed your garden; spend time with your elderly relative. I could listen to you and help you solve a problem creatively. I don’t have a qualification in this but it is a natural gift. As public facing as some of my work and role in the world are, among my finest strengths are one-on-one connection. I am highly intuitive, and thinking outside of the box is my normal. Quality individual connection feeds me and the person I am with. Until recently most of that energy has gone to one person, so I have a lot more available now.