Blatantly stolen from the internet. That’s my ride.

Last summer, I applied to a few things I found in Poets and Writers Magazine–a few contests, a few lit mags, and one residency.

I didn’t win the contests. I didn’t get into any lit mags. But I got a rather interesting email in September, notifying me that I was on the wait-list for the residency.

::Blink Blink::

What?

It was better than a rejection, so I was happy with my news. Skip ahead to New Years Eve, a mere 10 days ago, when I woke up to an email from Finland (where the residency is), notifying me that I was off the wait-list and to report in March for a month at the Arteles Creative Residency Program.

Say what? 

They have taken care of 50% of my housing fees, which leaves me with the other 50%, travel expenses, and food. At the suggestion of my friends and family, I humbly created a Kickstarter campaign.

And now, I have to humbly beg strangers for money.

This is a chance of a lifetime, which is why I said I’d do it. Some of my family doesn’t understand why I’d spend a month in a foreign country. After all, I have a husband, I have three children. I have responsibilities in the not-tropolis of Wisconsin.

Those are the very reasons I was thinking of turning it down, after the financial obligations this presented. I did not think I’d ever be accepted into this. But here I am. And thankfully, I have a lot more positive people in my life than negative ones, positive people that reminded me that this opportunity may never present itself again.

“What would you want your daughter to do?” one friend wrote to me. That’s when I started to seriously consider going, because I want my daughter to take advantage of every cool thing she can.

After a night out with some persuasive friends, I wrote my Finnish friends and said I’d be there.

Here’s a little more on the program I’ll be attending. Arteles – Freedom for Creativity. It’s a whole month to collaborate, write, recharge, try new things, and absorb a little culture into my freckled skin. I think I want to focus on the art of writing…handwriting, journaling, non-computer stuff, but I haven’t quite decided yet.

This is my Kickstarter Campaign, and I hope that you can support me in this very cool opportunity. I truly believe in karma, and I know this is only going to happen by the generosity of others, the same way I’ve contributed to others in the arts in the past. If you can’t donate, could you please pass it along? I’d be most appreciative…and there are some pretty cool rewards offered, too!

(And so you think I’m not just looking for a free ride, I’m selling things on Ebay, Etsy, and whatever black market organ retrieval place I can find.)

I’m 38% of the way there with 11 days to go. God help Finland…I may actually get to go!