This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.

Through Fuel for the Arts, Art Community Builders supports new and established artists through education, funding, and curation. We seek to further awareness of the range of human emotion and experience—with special emphasis on the voices of people of color—to create a diverse and inclusive community.

To that end, we are committed to creating a welcoming and nurturing environment for people of color. Our roots in the Texas burner community emphasize inclusion and civic responsibility; we want to bring these principles into our everyday lives, into our cities and neighborhoods—and this is one way we are determined to do so. While this is a new undertaking for us, we will remain steadfast. Our goal is to dedicate at least 30 percent of the funds from each grant cycle to projects by people of color.

Projects will be funded on a rolling basis. Details on our first funding cycle follow.

What kind of art are we looking for?

Our top priority is providing resources to help artists fund their creations and facilitate moving from idea to reality. Additionally, all art must be publicly viewable, either at FreezerBurn, another approved event, or a forthcoming distributed art tour. Beyond that, there are very few limitations. We love to see interactive environments, challenging viewpoints, and art that incorporates performance. We’re also open to more traditional media, like sculptures and murals. We are especially interested in seeing pieces that address the many big and small ways the tapestry of our country is being rewoven. It should go without saying, but we will not fund the purchases of intoxicants of any kind.

All grants will be judged on the criteria listed below and will be funded up to $1,500. As always, we’ll ask for an estimated budget; we urge artists to include not just supplies but also their own time spent on the creation. Keep in mind that using recycled and upcycled materials is not only great for the environment, but it means that more of the total grant award ends up in your pocket.

What should you include in your art grant?

• Artist statement
• Name and description of your art piece
• Materials list and cost
• Sketches or photos
• Build/fabrication/creation timeline
• Installation plan
• Security plan if necessary (do you have expensive or potentially dangerous components that shouldn’t be left unattended?)
• Safety plan (if you have combustible art)
• Contact information (legal name, mailing address, and email address)
• OPTIONAL: preferred pronouns and/or if you are a POC

As always, we’ll ask for an estimated budget; we urge artists to include not just supplies but also their own time spent on the creation.

If you would like your art to be seen at FreezerBurn or a similar event, please include: 

• Storage plan (in case we postpone FreezerBurn 2021)
• Transportation plan
• Removal plan

If you would like your art to be seen on a distributed art tour, please include:

• Where you will display your art
• Distancing protocols
• Sanitation protocols

Check out a sample grant application here.

If your grant is chosen, please also be prepared to participate in a virtual art tour online. Since this is the first time around for our new grant cycle and we are working within the boundaries of safe practices for a pandemic, there are some details for future events that we are working out. We will have more information about all events soon.

Dates for this cycle:

• EXTENDED! October 1: All applications are due. (If you send your grant application after this date, you may be considered for a future grant cycle. To be considered for this cycle, however, you must send your application by midnight, no exceptions.)
• October 15: Notifications to recipients by email
• October 20: Grant checks are mailed
• Jan 5: All art must be ready for display. If you finish early, we can add you to the Burner Art Safari.

Keep an eye out for the forthcoming Fuel for the Arts website with more resources for artists.

If you have any questions or to submit your art grant proposal, please email Destiny/ Chaos Magnet at af-art@fzbtx.com. We look forward to seeing your submissions!