Mooser's Train, Stamm's Dragon, Stretch Goal 4 and "Add $20 to any pledge for an extra book!"

About halfway through the project I was wishing I’d made it shorter ‘cause we’d reached our goal so fast – but now that there’s only FOUR DAYS LEFT and I’m wishing I had another week.  There is SO much going on here backstage and I’m not even sure how to relay it… without writing a whole novel. 

The campaign has been accelerating like mad for the past few days and I’ve been working like crazy to try to keep up with the momentum.  And with press-releases, updating the web-site, running the social media, interacting with people around the globe on various aspects of the project, updating diagrams AND preparing for the upcoming fulfillment I’m about 3 days behind in reporting the news!

Our project has become something much bigger than just the re-release of a nifty book… it has become about the community seizing an opportunity for recognition and upping the bar in terms of what can be accomplished for folders, designers and designers long past. 

And that community commitment is something that has has emerged in a huge way in the past 48 hours as two different supporters stepped up and made pledges of $250 as, basically, offerings to the community. 

The first was our own Hank Simon, who coincidentally was our 250th contributor and had us achieve our $10,000 stretch goal when he “twisted my arm” and convinced me to come up with a folding sequence for “Mooser’s Train” and diagram it for release to everyone in the campaign.  And the next day Tom Stamm offered up his beautiful and long out of print “Stamm’s Dragon” for re-diagramming and release to contributors as the next stretch goal of $12,500.

Then today, Laura Rozenberg, who I’ve been discussing helping out on her project to create the Museum of Origami in Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguayforwarded me the following post she made:  (it's a tad long but very worth the reading)

I´m so happy of JC´s success with his campaign that even I don´t know him in person every time I open the Kickstarter page I cross fingers that it´s going to show another breakthrough. And it does!

 I think one of the reasons of this unexpected pouring of cash is because people know, somehow, that this money will go to good use. And that people are craving for good origami-related projects. We want to be part of them!

 I been chatting with JC since the beginning of his campaign and he is really thankful and thoughtful. He was all about publishing his book, but now there is another book he has in mind –a Patricia Crawford retrospective-, and maybe others (perhaps Ligia Montoya, who was an origami creator herself and befriended the “stars” of the era such as Harbin, Legman, Elias, Randlett)… So cool… now he may end up having enough cash to refloat his old Lapin publishing company and make it self-sustained, hopefully. Why not. Good books sell.

 But there is more about JC that shows the kind of person he is. He is all about leveraging. He wants to help other good ideas to come to light and in exchange he´ll get the help he needs for his own project. Isn´t that something? I´m totally with it.

 So before the campaign closes, I thought wouldn´t it be great if each one of us who contributed to this campaign, made a second donation (e.g. if you donated $25, then you can make another $25 donation and get the second book you were thinking about for a friend) so instead of $10,000 he may get closer to $20,000?

 There are many reasons why I want him to succeed so badly. One is because I know he also wants to help other projects (yes, mine counts! J) and because this story reminds me of my father. In the early 70´s, living in Buenos Aires, I belonged to a group of melancholic birdwatchers who desperately tried to publish the first birdwatcher´s guide in the country. Of course none of the publishing companies were interested in our project.

They thought (wrongly) that there would be no public for that kind of book. None of us had enough money for the project, but we had all the knowledge (text and illustrations). So one day we met with my father, and he asked us if we could contribute each with $100, and maybe find 10 more people who would do the same. We looked at each other and said yes, of course! It seemed so ridiculously simple but none had thought of that before.

In less than a year the first birdwatcher´s guide of Argentina was out in bookstores (and it´s been re-edited zillion times) and that was the beginning of an incredible journey for many of those who dedicated part or all their life to bird-watching and nature (I took a different path, but I remember that time dearly.)

 I see in JC´s goals and energy the same type of driving force, and I foresee many good projects unfolding in the years to come. Origami is just beginning (at least the beginning for certain projects that requires sustained effort.)

 Please don´t forget if it´s within your means to back again JC´s groundbreaking campaign! I will and will put my second $25 tonight.

Thanks

Laura Rozenberg

At this point I’m basically just a traffic cop/conductor/air-traffic controller trying to track where everything is headed and bring it all into the most beautiful and graceful of landings.  Imagine a Crawford swan just gliding in to surface on the lake it’s amazing to have an opportunity to take a part in this process.

So, if you're ready to make a bigger contribution just click the big blue "Manage your Pledge" at the top of the campaign page, add $20 and if you're currently at the $25 level just change your Reward Selection to "Double Down" 

Otherwise, just send me a personal note and I'll be sure to get you the extra book in your order!  And also, be sure to check out Grandma's Package Too at the $99 level, the perfect gift pack for that precautions special someone in your life

As always, with deep gratitude,
JC