We live in a creative community. Here is an opportunity for supporters of The Alliance for Suicide Prevention to learn about and support a major creative undertaking by one strong suicide survivor in our community. Support it here on Community Funded >>>
From the creator, Michelle Venus:
And Tomorrow Comes Again, a book in progress, is a collection of creative and artistic expressions of suicide grief. The project culminates with the book and a traveling exhibit featuring artworks from the book as well as locally created art of suicide survivors.
I conceived of this project after losing my long-time partner to suicide. Losing Kyle was devastating. Debilitating. And even though I talk about my loss and my struggles, this grief feels like a very lonely place.
And Tomorrow Comes Again is a resource that will speak to three audiences. First: those who have lost someone to suicide. Hearing how others who have lost someone to suicide have navigated through their grief to finally arrive at peace will help them to know they are not alone and that hope and healing are destinations in this journey. Secondly, I hope this book resonates with anyone who may be contemplating suicide. The world is not a better place without you. People love you and will miss you. Losing you will impact more lives than you can possibly imagine. Third, I hope this book becomes a useful tool for people who are close to a suicide survivor to try and understand this devastation. Unless you have experienced it yourself, you really can’t know what it feels like to have your life upended by this sort of loss.
This is not an inexpensive project. At least not how I have envisioned it.
The goal is to feature creative expressions of suicide survivors. That could be the written word, visual art, film and video or music – however someone works through their grief using art.
Locating contributors is just the beginning. Then there’s photography, editing, book design and layout, social media and publicity expenses, administrative costs, professional fees and self-publishing costs. It adds up quickly.
I’m asking for $33,000 in funding assistance to cover two-thirds of the production costs – all of which are cleafly outlined on the web site. If you’re willing to invest in this project, I’m willing to bare it all. Well, at least the numbers. I’m setting a 31-Day deadline to meet this goal. I firmly believe we can do this together. That’s how important this project is.
The goal is to have And Tomorrow Comes Again published and on bookshelves by the fall of 2013. If we exceed our funding goals, I can afford to bring on and compensate more contributors, spread the message and spend time focusing on completing this project. Ultimately, I want to create a traveling exhibit featuring pieces from the book as well as artworks created by suicide survivors in each community it visits.
Thank you. With your support, I know we can move And Tomorrow Comes Again from aspiration to reality.
We can do this together.