Enter the Arts Fundraiser or Dumbing Down For Successful Fundraising ?

I have had a lovely email back from an arts fundraiser (local) recomended by an artist friend of mine who is also using her services. She will meet with me early in the New Year , oh what joy if we can agree the time period required and price regarding my re submission, to a the leading funding body for the arts in the UK. Such is the way of things, as I is need to be able to concentrate more fully on art rather than being an arts administrator etc. I had a strange conversation with an artist colleague, after discussing how generally to be accepted as an excellent artist by ones peers , said same artists do not get funded in many cases. My own a case in point to date. I have directly received grants as such for development as an artist bar one for soudn engineering msuic technoly they padi 50% of a £2000 course I paid the rest myself . As I was more of an arts entrepreneur in terms of my own development. He began to recount his many refusals also of arts grants funds. As a result his advice was that you should 'dumb down' your proposals, emphasise how much you need 'their help' to succeed , dumb down a bit your achievements, capabilities and definitely your entrepreneurial spirit in particular, past excellence of what you have done and importantly hope to do, only with their help of course. He seemed utterly convinced that this was the way forward. I could not help but reflect on what he said and how this may apply for next year in an ever increasing competitive 'market ' for grants . I found it useful to refer back to the end of my March 2010 blog !