Dear Potential Doners!

Thank you so much for coming this far! These are tough times we are living through, both emtionally and financially. The fact that you have come this far means you are interested in what I am doing and just for that I am thankful. I hope you read on further and if you are in a position to help me out with even the smallest donation I will be etertnally greatful.

WHO AM I                                             I am a survivor. I have battled my own mental health for as long as I can remember.  I have survived and come out happy and healthy on the otherside with the help of ongoing medication. I am a mother of two precocious young boys and partner to a wonderful loving man. 

I am a performer. Among other careers I have been a performer since childhood and loved every minute of it. I have experienced both the highs and lows that come with attempting to forge a career as an entertainer. I have experienced both rejections and successes. 

Lastly I am a believer in bettering the lives of others through shared experience. I believe by sharing my experiences through written word I can help other aspiring performers traverse their own journeys by overcoming the potential mental health impacts that can come whilst striving for a career in showbiz.

WHAT IS THE BOOK ABOUT                          

What fool in their right mind, already suffering from high levels of anxiety, deep seated insecurities, and the lowest levels of self worth, decides it’s a good idea to try putting themself out there to be judged in front of audition panel after audition panel, in pursuit of fame? Well you know what? The answer is - a lot of us.

I have written about my own experiences in  battling and coming to terms with my mental health. I recount in candid and sometimes comic detail my own struggles with mental health, from the lessons I've learnt, through to medication and beyond, told alongside the highs, lows, and lessons I've experienced whilst trying to forge a career in showbusiness.

As a stuggling performer it is common to feel alone in your failure's and struggles. I felt the sting of rejection extremely personally. I didn't know others felt the same way. I didn't know it was par for the course. I felt it was only me failing and only me sufferring. Within my own mind was a lonely and sometimes scary place to be. In todays world we so often put up a facade via our social media platforms, and  hide our real struggles underneath. What many people fail to realise is that behind one positive post about a 'success', there is likely to have been many failures which have not been posted about. We quite naturally want to celebrate our successes, but fail to acknowledge the knockbacks we have likely had along the way. For those who may not yet have had a 'success' in their mind, the negative impact on their mental health is where my personal concerns lie. The effect of seeing all these projected 'success' stories can leave them feeling as though they are the only ones 'failing' because they have not yet found their personal success. When I was in that position I felt very alone.

WHAT I HOPE TO ACHIEVE                     

By sharing my personal experiences I hope to bring a sense of camaraderie, mental health support, and encouragement to other striving performers. I want them to feel supported through the highs and lows inevitably experienced whilst forging a career in showbiz. I want them to read this book and realise they are not, and never have been, alone. They say a problem shared is a problem halved. I want this book to help two fold. 1. By breaking through some of the stigma's associated with open discussions on mental health, and 2. By bringing the readers face to face with some of the harsh reality's of the showbiz industry in order to understand that they are never alone in their struggles.

I want this book to become a go to for teachers, parents, and students. A book for parents to suggest to their children when they may have failed at their latest audition, a book for teachers to reference whilst educating the next generation of striving performers. I want to see this book open honest conversations so that less people feel alone.

HOW YOUR DONATION WILL HELP              

Your donations will help me bring this book to publication and a first release run. Your donations will in turn be helping to support young people in their journey's to achieve success in the arts, and to overcome the mental health obstacles which may stand between them, their mental health, and their success.

HOPES FOR THE FUTURE

On the back of this book I hope to raise awareness for mental health and the arts through workshops and programs designed to support the minds of young artists.

I am working on a budget of approximately $6000 to cover final editing, publishing, and initial first run publication - breakdown below. I am backing myself with as much as I can currently manage in the current Covid climate and I am hoping to reach a funding goal of half this amount to help me cover these costs without setting my family back financially. 

To see this project to its conclusion I estimate the following costs:

Publishing Package - $4000

Why a publishing package? – I am a first time publisher. Whilst it is possible to self publish without the assistance of a purchased publishing package, to do so I would risk –

a) Lower production quality of final product

b) Additional stress and anxiety in trying to navigate the process, leading to –

c) Longer time period for completion

By opting to go with an assisted publishing package I will be aided all the way by professional and experienced publishers with whom I have already begun to establish a working relationship.

Editing - $1000

I have engaged an editor who is also providing me with medical advice and guidance as well as editing services at a more than affordable price. Her interest in this project is heightened by the fact that she is personally involved as a mental health provider, providing assistance to performers via the EAP and Support Act organisations. She believes this work will be of assistance to her in her role once published.

Printing and Other Incidentals - $1000

As an advocate for mental health and the arts, I am preparing websites, presentations and programs to facilitate ongoing workshops to be made available to schools and other services. Some of these preparations will come at a cost, including some necessary registration fee’s.

Any remaining amount will allow me to purchase a first run of books for sale and distribution. Some will be distributed as part of rewards for this campaign, some will be provided as donations to libraries and arts schools. The remaining books will be made available for purchase.

WHAT I AM PERSONALLY INVESTING 

At this time I have and will continue to invest my own money into this project. I believe strongly in its future benefit to both mental health and the arts.

I am seeking support of $3000 to help me meet the costs as outlined above. This would equate to:

TOTAL AMOUNT REQUIRED:                                            100%    -  $6000

TOTAL AMOUNT BEING PERSONALLY INVESTED:       50%      -  $3000

TOTAL GOAL AMOUNT FOR CAMPAIGN:                       50%      -  $3000

Should my goal amount for this campaign be reached and exceed $3000, any funds will automatically go toward reducing the amount I personally need to invest to see this project to its fruition.