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BETTERISH

BETTERISH is a platform the honors and encourages people to make better things, better relationships and all around better days.

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Project Description

WHOA WOW: Thank you to everyone who not only made the initial goal possible, but actually made it happen. I remain tremendously grateful for your generosity and believing in this work. Let's do it betterish and go for the stretch goal! Please note: for every 5k contributed to the campaign, I will be donating a creative workshop to a low-income school here in Denver. I have two secured for this Fall. It'd mean the most if you could help me secure a third. ~Emily Hope Dobkin

 

You know how we’re living in a world saturated with pretty things and perfectionism? Many of us have grown up within environments where there’s a lot of pressure to be the best—gotta ace the test, gotta cross that finish line, gotta make it all look flawless.

Betterish aims to shift that mentality. Through in-person workshops, creative events, and various forms of storytelling, this is a platform dedicated to exploring the small actions, experiences, and lessons that lead to bigger things. Because when we take the time to notice and reflect, it usually has a pretty powerful way of taking us to something better. 

At the core of all betterish workshops and experiences, it's about slowing down and connecting more meaningfully to ourselves, the people around us, and often our life's work. 

 

WHAT BETTERISH CURRENTLY OFFERS

Betterish is dedicated to sharing the in-between messy moments and the struggles it takes to get to the pretty stuff. At the root, all betterish experiences are about human connection and community engagement. 

 

WORKSHOPS + CLASSES 

  • Zine Workshop For Businesses: Participants learn how to market their business in a way that shares their story and their uniqueness. They dive deep into a workshop that provides clarity on who they are as a business, why they do what they do in a compelling way, and all around gets customers excited about what they have to offer.
  • Zine Workshop for Students: Students create a step-by-step guide to something they personally feel passionate about (favorites thus far include: “How to Make a Kale Salad” or "How to Care For A Hedgehog" and "How To Have The Best Summer Ever"). Each participant has the opportunity to make 5 copies of their mini zine to keep, trade, and share.
  • Kindness Craft Collective: The Kindness Craft Collective is for anyone who wants to show up and make kindness a more contagious, courageous sorta thing. Those interested in booking one of these workshops can choose from a series of projects dedicated to producing handmade crafts that spread everyday empathy and delight in their community & beyond. Project examples include: creating a deck of Kindness Cards, printing Positive Patches or hosting a Snail Mail Social. 
  • Flow + Dough: Together with Rebel Bread, Betterish hosts an hour of power yoga practice in the park, followed by a picnic of fresh bread and jams.

 

PROJECTS & EVENTS

  • The Meet Cart: The Meet Cart is a mobile structure that actively invites strangers to engage with one another through a series of simple games + prompts. Geared to pop up anywhere from the first day of school to your local neighborhood bar, participants are encouraged to meet, greet & play.
  • Pop Up Printmaking: Betterish pops up at events in libraries, festivals and community spaces offering free drop-in printmaking experiences with designs that promote positivity and empowerment, i.e. "you are a mighty bloom" and "make it a yay day."
  • Event Consulting & DIY Design: Betterish works with organizations specifically to create simple interactive elements that provide opportunities for people to connect with one another in more meaningful and engaging ways.

 

STORYTELLING

  • The Betterish Blog: With an emphasis on honoring the merriest to the messiest, the stories found here are about celebrating daily whims, unexpected whirls, and giving more credit to what might appear ordinary and mundane. Betterish invites guests to share how they are "doing it betterish"--- the content of these stories varies quite vastly, but all have the common thread of betterment in some shape or form.

 

WHAT BETTERISH WANTS TO OFFER IN THE FUTURE: 

  • Creative experiences for corporate offices, startups + tech companies: Betterish is ready to shake up a team meeting with a community building experience whether that means rolling in The Meet Cart or designing a creative project that's in line with the company's mission & goals. 
  • Workshops at colleges and universities: "How to Do Your Freshmen Year Betterish" and a "D.I.Y. YOUR DORM ROOM" are workshops on the horizon.
  • A "core workout" series - A course focused on doing the inner work that connects us to our truer than true selves: exploring our values, our truth and what's good for our well-being. The key to it all: it's less about working out and more working in
  • Digital downloadable content. One page, graphically & informationally inspiring content that boots the betterish mindset with .pdf's that include "How To Make Your Mornings Betterish," "How To Budget Betterishly," and "How To Manage Time Betterishly." 

 

WHY IS DOING IT BETTERISH SO IMPORTANT?

We're living in a time of great disconnect and divide. We're attached to our phones, rely on our iPads, and request a lot from our Alexa's. We're constantly being bombarded with content. Content of heavy things, beautiful things; lots and lots of things. We're always ON, yet at the same time disengaged with the people directly next to us. This kind of disconnect and divide results in feelings of stress, anxiety, a tendency towards comparison, and a great sense of overwhelmingness. 

Betterish exists to close this divide through hands-on experiences that promote betterment. 

It's about getting messy.

It's about making space for vulnerability and exploring possibilities.

It's about uplifting other people's voices (fun fact: betterish actually started solely as a blog where I invited a wide range of people to share their stories to betterment).

It's about nourishing curiosity.

It's about finding a little more fun in the process. 

And ultimately: it's about acknowledging the little things that make a bigger impact. 

 

SO...WHY CROWDFUNDING + WHAT'S THE MONEY FOR?

All of the work I have ever done has been in community and for community. This work is so important that I want to do it with the communities that raised me, taught me, co-created with me, and those who are on board to help grow this with me. Funding secured through this campaign will be used to build out the content and curriculum so that it can spread into the hearts & hands of more people, as well as providing the resources to pay others to help formalize this work. Additional funding is needed for workshop materials, supplies, a space for me to work and collaborate with others, marketing, as well as taxes + fees. 

 

THE FUNDING

 

ABOUT EMILY HOPE DOBKIN

The brains behind betterish is Emily Hope Dobkin. For 10 years, Emily has produced and managed creative programs in various settings across the country: after-school activities, summer camps, galleries, libraries, marketplaces and museums. In all of these places, she’s designed community building experiences that nurture curiosity, encourage social bridging and fuel empowerment. She’s now taking that work to broader audiences and different kinds of venues using this betterish mindset. Emily considers herself an “experience maker & collaborative doer” and is dedicated to designing workshops & projects for places that value making more meaningful connections

 

 

THANK YOU, THANK YOU + A BAZILLION MORE THANK YOU'S 

The Campaign FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions:

WHAT'S A ZINE? A zine is a mini-magazine-of-sorts that is independently made and distributed for free throughout the community. What accumulated in a zine can represent a particular moment in time, poetry, artwork, doodles or simply a collection of ideas. The betterish twist: creating zines that can teach and share information that might otherwise be known as a menu, program or informational guide.

Allie Abbott
09/23/2019
Monetary Contribution
$15
Ken LB Knowlton
09/21/2019
ZINE BUNDLE
$25
09/16/2019
ZINE BUNDLE
$25
Marcela Leal
09/08/2019
BEATS & A BACKDROP
$10
Michael Barra
09/07/2019
BEATS & A BACKDROP
$10
Jesse
09/05/2019
Monetary Contribution
$20
09/05/2019
ZINE BUNDLE
$25
Justin Schaffer
09/05/2019
Monetary Contribution
$11
Bekah Makes
09/05/2019
LIMITED EDITION PRINTS
$50
Hanz
09/05/2019
BEATS & A BACKDROP
$10
Monetary Contribution

No amount is too small, nor too large.

Give what you can to support the betterish mission of connecting people more meaningfully to themselves and those around them by taking creative steps towards betterment.

Your contribution will help more folks access opportunities for both personal and professional growth.

56 Supporters
Select this reward
10.00 USD
BEATS & A BACKDROP

Get yourself an energizing playlist, a betterish backdrop for your phone + a shout out on social media outlets including: Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. 

53 Supporters
None available
25.00 USD
ZINE BUNDLE

Receive a handprinted thank you note + a three pack of zines that includes:

  • Kind on the Grind: A Guide for Integrating More Kindness into Your Daily Routine
  • Moody Tunes: A Series of Playlists for Your Many Feelings
  • Betterish Bites: Simple Recipes For Your Everydays

Additionally: get an energizing playlist, a betterish backdrop for your phone + a shout out on social media outlets including Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. 

1 Left
114 Supporters
Select this reward
35.00 USD
NEW! BETTERISH BRAINSTORM

Need help getting those creative juices flowing on a project, event, party, program, space, business idea or ______ (enter your own something you need help with here)?

Snag this reward and get 30 minutes with Emily Hope Dobkin (creator + founder of Betterish) to come up with ideas, flush out a dream, and/or scheme how to make some next steps happen on something awesome.

Additionally: get an energizing playlist, a betterish backdrop for your phone + a shout out on social media outlets including Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. 

3 Left
5 Supporters
Select this reward
50.00 USD
LIMITED EDITION PRINTS

Gain an upgrade to your art collection: receive a set of three completely different prints that promote positivity, kindness and empowerment.

Additionally: get an energizing playlist, a betterish backdrop for your phone + a shout out on social media outlets including: Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. 

2 Left
44 Supporters
Select this reward
100.00 USD
THE ULTIMATE BETTERISH BAG

Snag a betterish tote bag, a set of stickers, buttons, three zines, a limited edition art print + a handmade thank you note.

Zines included:

  • Kind on the Grind: A Guide for Integrating More Kindness into Your Daily Routine
  • Moody Tunes: A Series of Playlists for Your Many Feelings
  • Betterish Bites: Simple Recipes For Your Everydays

Additionally: get an energizing playlist, a betterish backdrop for your phone + a shout out on social media outlets including Instagram, Facebook & Twitter

4 Left
25 Supporters
Select this reward
250.00 USD
BETTERISH PRINT PACKAGE + TOTE BAG

Enjoy a 10 pack of custom limited-edition art prints in addition to a tote bag + swag of your choice: stickers, buttons and/or a zine. Prints include positive phrases that include:

  • YOU ARE A MIGHTY BLOOM
  • MAKE IT A YAY DAY
  • STAY MIGHTY, MERRY + BRIGHT
  • UR SO FLY
  • YAY, YOU!

Prints are perfect for framing, to send as snail mail, or simply put in the corner in the mirror as a daily pick me up.

Additionally: get an energizing playlist, a betterish backdrop for your phone + a shout out on social media outlets including: Instagram, Facebook & Twitter

3 Left
6 Supporters
Select this reward
500.00 USD
Personalized Zine For your Biz/Org/You

Market your business, organization or personal practice in a way that shares your story and your uniqueness. Betterish will create a one-of-a-kind zine that will share who you are, why you do what you do in a compelling way and all around gets people excited about what you have to offer.  

Additionally: get an energizing playlist, a betterish backdrop for your phone + a shout out on social media outlets including Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. 

TERMS & CONDITIONS: Recipients will receive one copy of the zine + a .pdf version to make additional copies. 

3 Left
2 Supporters
Select this reward
1,000.00 USD
Customized Creative Workshop

FOR THOSE BASED IN COLORADO

Make your staff meeting, birthday bash, holiday party  [or enter your own awesome idea here] betterish with a fun-filled, creatively powered workshop.

OPTIONS INCLUDE:

  • Team Building Projects: roll in The Meet Cart which comes with a series of simple games and prompts that encourages strangers to become friends.
  • DIY Art Projects: from various forms of printmaking to button-making and zine crafting, betterish can make any DIY project of your dreams come true.
  • Designing a low-tech interactive space: co-create a space that invites visitors to participate in a project that sparks vulnerability, creativity and togetherness.

Terms & conditions:  Workshop includes materials for up to 20 people, 5 hours max. This reward is for those based in Colorado. 

4 Left
0 Supporters
Select this reward
3,000.00 USD
Customized Workshop | outside Colorado

FOR THOSE BASED OUTSIDE OF COLORADO

Make your staff meeting, birthday bash, holiday party  [or enter your own awesome idea here] betterish with a fun-filled, creatively powered workshop.

OPTIONS INCLUDE:

  • Team Building Projects: a series of simple games and prompts that encourages strangers to become friends.
  • DIY Art Projects: from various forms of printmaking to button-making, zine crafting, betterish can make any DIY project of your dreams come true.
  • Designing a low-tech interactive space: co-create a space that invites visitors to participate in a project that allows them to contribute in formats that spark vulnerability, creativity and togetherness.
3 Left
0 Supporters
Select this reward
5,000.00 USD
Creative Classes For A Low Income School

Give a low-income school in Denver one semester of an eight-week enrichment or after-school program this Fall or Spring. Workshops will be rooted in creative collaborative projects that promote togetherness, kindness and spreading empathy. 

3 Left
0 Supporters
Select this reward

About the Entrepreneur

Denver, CO
Created 1 Campaign
Social Good

Rewards

Monetary Contribution

No amount is too small, nor too large.

Give what you can to support the betterish mission of connecting people more meaningfully to themselves and those around them by taking creative steps towards betterment.

Your contribution will help more folks access opportunities for both personal and professional growth.

56 Supporters
Select this reward
10.00 USD
BEATS & A BACKDROP

Get yourself an energizing playlist, a betterish backdrop for your phone + a shout out on social media outlets including: Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. 

53 Supporters
None available
25.00 USD
ZINE BUNDLE

Receive a handprinted thank you note + a three pack of zines that includes:

  • Kind on the Grind: A Guide for Integrating More Kindness into Your Daily Routine
  • Moody Tunes: A Series of Playlists for Your Many Feelings
  • Betterish Bites: Simple Recipes For Your Everydays

Additionally: get an energizing playlist, a betterish backdrop for your phone + a shout out on social media outlets including Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. 

1 Left
114 Supporters
Select this reward
35.00 USD
NEW! BETTERISH BRAINSTORM

Need help getting those creative juices flowing on a project, event, party, program, space, business idea or ______ (enter your own something you need help with here)?

Snag this reward and get 30 minutes with Emily Hope Dobkin (creator + founder of Betterish) to come up with ideas, flush out a dream, and/or scheme how to make some next steps happen on something awesome.

Additionally: get an energizing playlist, a betterish backdrop for your phone + a shout out on social media outlets including Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. 

3 Left
5 Supporters
Select this reward
50.00 USD
LIMITED EDITION PRINTS

Gain an upgrade to your art collection: receive a set of three completely different prints that promote positivity, kindness and empowerment.

Additionally: get an energizing playlist, a betterish backdrop for your phone + a shout out on social media outlets including: Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. 

2 Left
44 Supporters
Select this reward
100.00 USD
THE ULTIMATE BETTERISH BAG

Snag a betterish tote bag, a set of stickers, buttons, three zines, a limited edition art print + a handmade thank you note.

Zines included:

  • Kind on the Grind: A Guide for Integrating More Kindness into Your Daily Routine
  • Moody Tunes: A Series of Playlists for Your Many Feelings
  • Betterish Bites: Simple Recipes For Your Everydays

Additionally: get an energizing playlist, a betterish backdrop for your phone + a shout out on social media outlets including Instagram, Facebook & Twitter

4 Left
25 Supporters
Select this reward
250.00 USD
BETTERISH PRINT PACKAGE + TOTE BAG

Enjoy a 10 pack of custom limited-edition art prints in addition to a tote bag + swag of your choice: stickers, buttons and/or a zine. Prints include positive phrases that include:

  • YOU ARE A MIGHTY BLOOM
  • MAKE IT A YAY DAY
  • STAY MIGHTY, MERRY + BRIGHT
  • UR SO FLY
  • YAY, YOU!

Prints are perfect for framing, to send as snail mail, or simply put in the corner in the mirror as a daily pick me up.

Additionally: get an energizing playlist, a betterish backdrop for your phone + a shout out on social media outlets including: Instagram, Facebook & Twitter

3 Left
6 Supporters
Select this reward
500.00 USD
Personalized Zine For your Biz/Org/You

Market your business, organization or personal practice in a way that shares your story and your uniqueness. Betterish will create a one-of-a-kind zine that will share who you are, why you do what you do in a compelling way and all around gets people excited about what you have to offer.  

Additionally: get an energizing playlist, a betterish backdrop for your phone + a shout out on social media outlets including Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. 

TERMS & CONDITIONS: Recipients will receive one copy of the zine + a .pdf version to make additional copies. 

3 Left
2 Supporters
Select this reward
1,000.00 USD
Customized Creative Workshop

FOR THOSE BASED IN COLORADO

Make your staff meeting, birthday bash, holiday party  [or enter your own awesome idea here] betterish with a fun-filled, creatively powered workshop.

OPTIONS INCLUDE:

  • Team Building Projects: roll in The Meet Cart which comes with a series of simple games and prompts that encourages strangers to become friends.
  • DIY Art Projects: from various forms of printmaking to button-making and zine crafting, betterish can make any DIY project of your dreams come true.
  • Designing a low-tech interactive space: co-create a space that invites visitors to participate in a project that sparks vulnerability, creativity and togetherness.

Terms & conditions:  Workshop includes materials for up to 20 people, 5 hours max. This reward is for those based in Colorado. 

4 Left
0 Supporters
Select this reward
3,000.00 USD
Customized Workshop | outside Colorado

FOR THOSE BASED OUTSIDE OF COLORADO

Make your staff meeting, birthday bash, holiday party  [or enter your own awesome idea here] betterish with a fun-filled, creatively powered workshop.

OPTIONS INCLUDE:

  • Team Building Projects: a series of simple games and prompts that encourages strangers to become friends.
  • DIY Art Projects: from various forms of printmaking to button-making, zine crafting, betterish can make any DIY project of your dreams come true.
  • Designing a low-tech interactive space: co-create a space that invites visitors to participate in a project that allows them to contribute in formats that spark vulnerability, creativity and togetherness.
3 Left
0 Supporters
Select this reward
5,000.00 USD
Creative Classes For A Low Income School

Give a low-income school in Denver one semester of an eight-week enrichment or after-school program this Fall or Spring. Workshops will be rooted in creative collaborative projects that promote togetherness, kindness and spreading empathy. 

3 Left
0 Supporters
Select this reward