This year Louisville is hosting the 30th Annual Southern Fried Poetry Slam. Thanks to Mr. SpreadLove and Stevon I am hosting a workshop for writers & artists at KMAC (715 W Main St, Louisville, KY 40202).

One part of the workshop deals with writing proposals. You can visit my LINKTREE for the full presentation (free for a limited time) and I included proposal tips below:

CHAHTA NOIR GRANT TEMPLATE
1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION                    

• SUMMARY: Explain your project in 1 sentence. This one sentence should describe your solution to a problem and answer who, what, when, where, and/or why as needed. EXAMPLE: The CREAM workshop will gather Southern writers to teach budgeting and fundraising  skills.
• DETAILED EXPLANATION: Now you can go deep (Shoutout to DVSN). We need to know about the problem you’re solving and how the funding source’s ideas about the world connect with your project. Write a word document or google doc draft BEFORE you type directly in a grant form so you can check spelling, grammar, and word count. Most online submission options have a character or word limit.
• CONNECTION TO THE FUNDING SOURCE: This should be specific to the organization’s mission, and/or recent milestones. Research the organization’s leaders. How do their goals  align with your vision?
• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: List SPECIFIC ways you’ve grown as an artist/writer. Sometimes you can link to your resume, videos of your performances, or photos that demonstrate your growth.

2. BUDGET                                

I don't yet have a handle on what I'm looking forward to. There was something about that 70 degree day in the Winter that reminded me anything is possible. Last Thursday I de-installed my first solo exhibition "Something in the Water" at the Speed Art Museum and I'm preparing for two group shows. A colleague invited me to apply for another residency and I caught the tail end of a deadline extension for the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage.

​Thanks to Today's Woman I got a feature in their January issue and Terra Leavell hooked me up with an event where I sold $1500 worth of my art in one day at the 1619 Gathering Space. This summer I'll be teaching a Juneteenth arts camp with Louisville Visual Arts and a few of my Something in the Water collection pieces will be featured in the Carnegie Center for Arts & Humanity.

I am writing all this to make sure I celebrate the wins. 

Being an artist can be tumultuous. There are times when we feel lost or unsure. It's amazing how things can change so quickly in such. short period of time. I am committed to celebrating my success. Out loud. I invited you to do the same.

Enjoy the journey.
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