Become A Co-op Member
As a smart and talented, kind-kindred and creative thinker (and doer!), we would love your participation. you choose the savvy share that best suits your needs. make your once-only, lifetime investment to the community and then pay a small monthly contribution as long as you want to still be an active part of the community. your contributions will fully promote the growth and sustainability of our co-op. these are not donations, as all of your investment dollars will go towards class offerings both online and in-person, website maintenance, studio upkeep and admin, and needed supplies and resources that you will ultimately have access to. these are your current share options:
Partial Share (online only)
your lifetime investment {$95}
your monthly co-op contribution {$15}
as a member with a Partial Share, your benefits include:
* FREE class offerings online
* share your life, inspiration and creative work on our blog as host in the Wishstudio for 1 week
* discounted sponsorship rates
* our monthly e-newsletter with special member news, updates and goodies (beginning jan 2012)
* a vote on all matters presented at our bi-annual electoral (Jan/July) to help guide our community
* a free member-only listing in our wishstudio.com Inspiration Lounge
Partial Share (local only)
your lifetime investment {$95}
your monthly co-op contribution {$18}
as a member with a Partial Share, your benefits include:
* FREE class and event offerings in the local studio (with priority seating)
* show your work as guest curator of our community gallery space (for 2 weeks)
* host one, 2 hour event in the local studio for FREE (great for a class, art show, girls night out, etc.)
* a FREE 1 day studio pass for a friend
* our monthly e-newsletter with special member news, updates and goodies (beginning 2012)
* a vote on all matters presented at our bi-annual electoral (Jan/July) to help guide our community
* a free member listing in our wishstudio.com Inspiration Lounge
Full Wishstudio Share (both online and in our local studio)
your lifetime investment {$95}
your monthly co-op contribution {$24}
as a member with a Full Share, your benefits include:
* FREE class offerings both online and in our local studio (with priority seating)
* share your life, inspiration and creative work on our blog as host in the Wishstudio for 1 week
* show your work as guest curator of our community gallery space (for 2 weeks)
* host one, 2 hour event in the local studio for FREE (great a class, art show, for girls night out etc.)
* a FREE 1 day studio pass for a friend
* discounted sponsorship rates
* our monthly e-newsletter with special member news, updates and goodies (beginning 2012)
* a vote on all matters presented at our bi-annual electoral (Jan/July) to help guide our community
* a free member listing in our wishstudio.com Inspiration Lounge
* free access to use of the studio during open studio times
the best benefit for ALL is being part of something with a collective heartbeat and soul!
~Join today and start enjoying you benefits immediately! monthly member contributions begin January 2012, and you will receive a simple sign up via email. check out our events calender to see what’s happening!
Our Values and Ends
As a Creativity Co-op our core values are Creativity, Sustainable Community, and Self Discovery, and we are striving to meet these ends:
- Free or reasonably priced services with an emphasis on hand made, personal development, and creative experiences and endeavors
- A welcoming community collective both online and in-person
- A regenerative business that has a net positive social impact
- Sustainable economics
- Relevant information and inspiration with regard to Art, Creative Living, and Best Business Practices
- Reasonable access to participation in the cooperative
- Creativity for your every day life
Come Grow With Us!
Co-ops have been around for centuries to help communities survive and thrive because they work! still, i believe this is an innovative and fresh approach to things in our creative corner of the universe, and it is a great opportunity to get involved in something really special and unique. my hope is that the Wishstudio Co-op will help fulfill a big need for better accessibility and inclusion in the creative marketplace, where more of our focus can be on the creative process, kindred connections, and inspired thinking, and less on PR, marketing and chasing dollars.
Co-op FAQ’s
How does the co-op work? as a member, you make a one-time investment in the co-op which essentially buys you a share. this share goes directly to the community which allows the Wishstudio to host classes and events as well as create other opportunities to network and connect both virtually as well as in-person. with your share and small monthly contribution, you have ongoing access to all Wishstudio offerings, free of charge, as well as other community benefits including voting on the administrative and creative direction the Wishstudio will go.
Is the co-op a non profit organization? no. because contributions will be used to directly fund the studio and benefit it’s members (paying for classes, events, supplies, overhead), Wishstudio will operate as a regular business. investments are therefore not tax deductible.
When you say free, do you really mean everything will be FREE? essentially, yes! technically though, you are paying for things via your monthly contribution. while, most likely you will participate in many more classes etc. than the actual value your single investment would buy (lot’s of bang for your buck!), it is the power of the collaborative dollars that make things happen in a cooperative.
What kind of offerings will be available? there will be the same quality classes available via the co-op as we have had all along online in the Wishstudio. this means events like wishBIG ecamp will be included! in our local studio there will be a wide variety of hands-on offerings given by local creatives, focused on creative experiences and enrichment in a fun and social environment.
How is a co-op different from a membership club? the two similar in some ways but the spirit and values set them apart. in a membership community for a certain fee members can utilize goods and services for a predetermined amount of time (monthly or yearly) and/or get discounted rates, and all the profits go to the owners. in a co-op model, each community member makes an investment in the community and the revenue and ideas generated are for collective use, making its offerings accessible and beneficial to all.
How do I make my monthly contribution? once you make your co-op investment your member benefits begin. you will then receive an email to sign up for monthly payments through paypal (you will need to set up an account with them), and the 1st of the following month your contributions will begin. if you live locally, you can drop of a check or pay cash for your monthly contribution if you would rather (payable to Wishstudio) on the first of the month.
Do I have to become part of the co-op to participate in Wishstudio offerings? no, you do not. the co-op is designed to meet everyone’s individual needs, so you choose what works best for you! we will still offer an option to participate in all classes etc the old way, to pay a fee a la carte. our blog will also always remain an open and free resource and a place to inspire and connect as well!
Am I able to change to change my Share? you may upgrade a partial share at anytime. to take a smaller share, there is a $15 fee and the next billing cycle will reflect your new monthly contribution. changing your share option can only be done once per member, per calendar year.
Can I cancel my membership (and is there a cancellation fee)? we will be working hard to make sure your investment in the co-op is well worth it. if you decide that it is not a good fit, you can opt out of your monthly contribution and give up your share in the co-op at any time. there is no fee to do so. your initial investment however is nonrefundable, and there will be a re-joining fee of $50 if you decide to later come back, but you won’t ever have to make your initial investment again. cancellations and rejoining requests can only be made once per year, per member.
How will teachers be paid? teachers will actually earn more in the co-op by being paid by our collaborative dollars, then they would have otherwise as outside contractors to the Wishstudio. you do not have to be a member to teach, as we appreciate your support of the co-op by helping to educate and share! since most of the participation in our classes will be come from within the co-op community (our goal), there will be less of a need to mass market or promote a product and more time and energy to pour into the creative process and engage with fellow creatives! teachers will also have a much broader reach in sharing their work with folks who might not have been able to afford a class of theirs (a la carte) previously. it is a win win for all. for more detailed information about teaching, please feel free to email me directly, mindy(at)wishstudio(dot)com.
