I decided to create with abandon. I will write, sing, talk, draw, and record because I want to share my creative endeavors with the world. Not because they can make me money, but despite their "marketability." Grief work, especially, is not pretty or fun. I know Toni Cade Bambara said that my role, as an artist, is to make the revolution irresistible. I feel that, deeply. How do I bring people into the internal revolution of grief work and all that comes along with it?
This time last year, I thought people didn't want to do "the work." They weren't tryna pay me for workshops, hire me to speak, or anything of the sort. I assumed that my fees were too much, that the interested parties couldn't actually reach me, etc. I went down a rabbit hole of self doubt. I turned my focus to contract work as a fundraising coordinator. That didn't work out too well, either.
But, a few weeks ago, I had an idea: I can be publicly funded in my work, and anyone who wants a piece can get it. Inspired by ismatu gwendolyn, I asked myself what would happen if I raised the $ to keep going without charging for workshops? What if I took away the paywall on this Patreon site, or moved all my writing to my own domain? Well, that's what I'm doing. I launched a GoFundMe.
Every $25 covers a seat in one of my workshops. I have a breakup workshop coming up on June 12, and some more goodies coming in July. Won't you join me?