Hi everyone! Okay, so you guys know I am in grad school and its a 2-year intensive PROJECT-based film program at Columbia College Chicago. I am planning on taking a Creative Writing course focused on James Baldwin and Ernest Hemingway in Paris, France during my January term 2018.

I know people might be like but WHY SHOULD I DONATE AND TAKE YOU TO PARIS WHEN I CAN SAVE AND GO MYSELF. Glad you asked: 3 things, I'll be brief but thorough: 1. I have a mission bigger than myself. I am creating a documentary entitled "The New Love Culture"(http://botch.space) and as most of you know, Paris is the city of love. This is a chance to add an international aspect to the film in order to increase its global impact, expand the doc's audience and increase the likelihood of funding for the doc's completion. See my latest demo for part one of the 3-part docu-series here: http://botch.space/the-new-love-culture/ 2. As a young, black, woman in the white, male dominated industry of filmmaking I need any and every unique experience to help me stand out in the crowd and contribute new, different ideas. This is NOT a free vacation to just shop and eat croissants. I will be there as a student. I will absorb everything in order to better inform my writing and in turn, better inform the films I make. This is a creative writing course class in Paris, studying the works of Hemingway and Baldwin and I plan to take the course serious and the work I do there seriously as well. 3. This is actually my only opportunity to study abroad in school because in January of next year I will be filming my thesis film. In undergrad I was scheduled to study abroad to Argentina and during that summer my cousin was killed and my grandfather, who I lived with and cared for, passed away and it was important that I stay and help my family during that trying time.

I will use the money raised from this site to pay for the Creative Writing class fee, the flight and the cost of housing.

My strategy to reach this goal is by sending personalized messages to every one in my social network. I have almost 1,400 followers on Instagram, over 1800 friends on Facebook and about 500 Twitter followers. Collectively, that is a network of approximately 3,700 people. If only a 100 of those people donate JUST $27 dollars. I will reach my goal.

Depending on your donation level I will offer free design services, small logos, one-page website and photography prints from sites in Paris (after I return) or from my personal collection shipped directly to you. I will offer discount codes to donors who are interested in shopping at my online clothing boutique. (https://botch.shop) Also, for the local Chicago donors, I will offer discounted rates for renting my intimate events space for any event (must be approved in advance) in 2018.