A guest post by Michelle Kasprzak about her Curating.info platform and an innovative approach to funding a fellowship:

I was inspired to create a Fellowship for curators because it is difficult for curators to find time to commit to a period of research. This opportunity will give a curator paid time away from their usual situation to react to the rich cultural fabric of Glasgow, conduct research and produce their own exhibition, which is a very powerful combination of factors. I think this Fellowship could really make a fundamental change to an emerging or mid-career curator's professional trajectory.

It was also time I did something concrete with Curating.info (http://curating.info), the curating website I've been running since 2006 as the web's premier resource for contemporary art curators. The site has incredible momentum, and the team has now grown so I have four people working with me on the site, not to mention our thousands of fans on Facebook. A Fellowship seemed a natural thing to include atthis point in developing Curating.info and its growing community.

Crowdfunding is still a relatively new concept and I have to be patient and explain how it works, but many people have captured the concept instantly and reacted very well. In Europe we are facing heavy cuts to the arts and I think that if crowdfunding is not as known now, it soon will be as people get more creative in their approach to supporting their projects and building community around them. It's been heartening to see the quick surge of support in the beginning – now I am gearing up for a big finish!

What are some of the lessons you've learned from your crowdfunding adventure?

I would say to follow the advice that you folks have kindly provided here on RocketHub! Send out personal appeals to friends and family, get a video together, and give your rewards some careful consideration. Use all the social media tools at your disposal to keep spreading the word – don't worry about sounding like a broken record! One thing I have learned the hard way as a newbie to this is that I have set my financial target quite high. Look at what other projects that are similar to yours have made, and shoot for a target in a similar range. I was thinking ambitiously but maybe should have aimed for a more modest target my first time out.

Great work Michelle. Everyone can support this new way to curate and discover innovative arts in Glasgow and beyond.

-Vlad