Personalized Choreography

Throughout the pandemic, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some incredible dancers on the planet (The results of which you can find here) One of the things I was able to do was to write out long, personalized narratives of choreography as a way for a creator to work within whatever space they had to build an entire narrative. At the start of the pandemic, this was essentially their living spaces (But I believe you can create great beauty anywhere) So, for a donation of $100 or more, I will create several personalized narratives for you within your living space or a studio (or anywhere you feel comfortable in dancing) I work with you (remotely if you’re not in Toronto) and we can consider this a creative exercise where even if you work in another discipline, we build something for you in movement. You may never perform it anywhere, but there’s value in the crafting. The act alone changes things. Perhaps you’ll never want to perform it, but want it written just for you.

You’ll also receive handwritten copies & notes associated with the work (so something with a little more of a personal touch)

Audio Motivational Messages for a Monday

I’m not a fan of empty platitudes. Those who receive audio letters from me know that I tend to make sure that if you’re down, I will find a way with my words, to pick you up & refocus you on the things that do matter to you (& who doesn’t mind a reminder of what we can do with the week ahead, with a message to wake up to on Monday as that reminder?) Any donation of $20 gets you one Motivational Message on a Monday (For every $100, you get 10 messages, one per week) And if you want to know what to expect if you choose this perk, click on the audio below for a sample.

Your own Personal Fundraiser for a Day or a Week (+ a workshop if you want it)

We may have projects that we want to do (but don’t know where to start with the budget) But the process of raising money for a project while we work can be quite exhausting. Perhaps you have an idea for a project for a few months from now & want to be prepared to do the fundraising work. Perhaps you know of someone who has a project that requires fundraising help & want me to work with them. Regardless of what the situation is, this is what you will receive for a donation of $100 or more.

One day of personal fundraising for you (calls to existing donors + emails) It’s about 3-4 hours of work on your behalf. OR

A workshop on how to do a fundraising campaign on a tiny budget (from phone calls to emailing to researching potential donors to your work) This would be a 3-4 hour workshop over one or two days (whatever your preference) OR

For $200+ you get both.

Reminder - if you’re in Toronto this can be in person if you choose (& if you’re anywhere else, I have the set up to do a professional workshop online)

 

As a disabled cancer survivor, I’ve always been working through some intense medical challenges (& now is no different – even after you go through cancer treatment, the long-term effects of things like Peripheral Neuropathy don’t go away!) I’ve been proud of the work I’ve been able to do to help other people with VMH throughout the last few years. We’ve been able to provide major funding to dozens of artists out of my own pocket (somewhere in the vicinity of $70,000+) & help people pay their rent (& hopefully feel a little more secure) Hasn’t always been easy, but I feel it matters that when others are in distress, we have to do whatever we can to pick people up & help in whatever way we can.

I’ve been able to work part-time as a fundraiser & have started to catch up on bills (which is great!) But I still need help. Sometimes I have overextended myself financially, but if it benefits others, I believe it’s worth it. I also believe that in any fundraising endeavor like this, it matters to focus on initiatives that are mutually beneficial & things that can encourage others to not only create but build. I’ve got a fifteen-year history of fundraising in various mediums & I’d like to put it to good use for others.

I do a lot of work with kids with both Spark (funding for disabled artists) & the Fund for Trans & Nonbinary writers. But we take in a little under $90 a month in ongoing donations & put out anywhere from $800 to $1000 a month (it’s been like that for a long time) As it’s grown, I’ve kept the focus on kids. So, I haven’t pulled back in financially looking after our younger writers in these programs because it really is tough out there for disabled & trans folk (& when you’re a kid, the situation can be precarious at best) I’m not asking for anyone to fund these programs – this is my responsibility. But a time is coming where I may have to stop & even then, it could still be rough, financially.

What I would like to raise money for is to catch up on my own bills, so I can really start helping people again with the work that I’ve been doing. If you’re donating to this, it should be clear that you’re helping me, personally. There are some bills that are super critical in paying that I haven’t been able to shake loose. And with interest & penalties, it’s starting to drag everything else down.

I’m grateful if you gave without the expectation of something in return. But I want you to know that you have the option of receiving several things from me for your help. The perks range from having me as your own personal fundraiser for a day or a week (You can make a lot of magic happen in a day) to personalized choreography written for you (something which I’ve done before with some exceptional dancers during the pandemic) to up to 100 personalized recordings of your favorite dead poets.

So yes, we’re fundraising. But hopefully something I can offer to you creatively will at least offer my thanks to you. You can donate at the link here: & read more about the perks below.

There’s so much good I’d like to do with the time I’ve been given back. So, if you can help me out here, I can return to helping others out from a more secure, safe place.

Note: The personalized audiodrama can be one minute long depending on the donation?

also, you need to add the perk of 100 audio poems!

Make it stand out

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.