First of all, thank you so much for considering becoming a patron. Without folks like you life as a creator is one long panic attack in anticipation of some bill not getting paid or a project not being finished because one lacks the wherewithal to eat. You think I'm exaggerating. I am not. Truth is, people like to read, watch cool videos, appreciate art, love music but don't always think about some of the challenges those of us who make all that stuff have to deal with.

Obviously, you are one of the enlightened who understands just how essential a good artist/art consumer relationship is. And that's not just in terms of cash, I hasten to add. A thoughtful comment or a smart question (or, for that matter, a stupid question, because we all know there is no such thing...), or a word of encouragement or an appropriate emoji - all those little communications mean the work has touched someone. And making those connections is really what it's all about.

So who am I and what am I doing here? I am a writer, traveller, blogger, photographer, and budding videographer with a deep curiosity about the world and the people in it. I love climbing, sailing, and off-the-beaten-track adventures. I'm also a performer, a storyteller and workshop leader eager to share my experiences with the world.

If you sign up to support my ongoing artistic adventures, you never know what work might emerge - a blog post? The chapter of a new book? An online writing workshop? A photo essay? A video? A new performance of one of my spoken word pieces? Whatever it is, you will be the first to know about it. You'll also be privy to behind-the-scenes stories about how the projects come to be.

This year, you can also be part of supporting a really cool project that involves me walking the last 115 kilometres of the Camino de Santiago with my 82 year-old father and 30 year-old daughter. That makes me the filling in an intergenerational sandwich of artists. My father is an amazing visual artist and my daughter is an author and designer. We're working on a memoir about the trip together and I'll also be posting some videos about the journey.

Though we are all game and will somehow scrape the funds together to do the trip we don't have unlimited time to fart around with a sensible savings plan (did you notice the part about Dad being over 80?). We'll max out credit cards and hope for the best, if necessary. But this trip would be even better if we can take you along for the ride. And that's just one of several pretty cool projects I have on the go. You can be part of all of them for as little as a buck a month! Man. What a deal! I wish I could support me! Oh, wait... that's the old model! Now we can all be in this together!

Of course, you may want to step up and pledge a bit more. And that's super awesome. Pledge enough and I'll send you an autographed copy of the book when it comes out! But whether you pledge a modest amount or a vast amount, look forward to hanging out in some live Q&A sessions, getting mentioned over on my regular blogs, and having access to some private supporter-only blog posts.

How often will you see something from me? I am constantly producing stuff, but not everything I write/perform/create winds up online. And, something like a book is a BIG DEAL and obviously doesn't happen too often (that said, I have published about 30 books over the past 20 years). It's reasonable to expect something to be posted about once a week. If you are a $1 a month supporter, that's about a quarter per blog post (which is likely to be the most regular thing I produce). Some months there will be a video. Some months there may be a sneak peek at an excerpt from a manuscript in progress. Some months you may get a photo essay about somewhere cool I've been. With any luck, I'll find that sweet spot where you aren't overwhelmed, but you won't be disappointed either.

Whatever level you decide to help out, know how deeply grateful I am for your contributions. In return, I'll work my ass off to make stuff you enjoy. If things get crazy and we reach some stretch goals together, I have some amazing creative friends who work as artists, musicians, videographers, writers, and photographers and nothing would make me happier than to expand my own creative horizons by embarking on some cool collaborative projects. Stay tuned...