Support and Get Involved

So as I write this, Not Your Ex/Rotic is still a very new project. There are ideas, and there are strands of past work that will definitely come into play, but grad school is a whole new adventure and this relatively unusual MFA even more so.

I start my course in August and will keep this blog updated (to the best of my ability) about my progress before and during the MFA. Here's how you can be involved:

Tell me your story!

Are you someone of multiple minority status (especially race, gender, sexuality, citizenship, ability, and so on) that has found it tricky to express your erotic self or sexuality because you're getting brickbats from everywhere? Would you like to explore burlesque, erotica, kink, or other "shenanigans" but (like so many others) feel that you'll "bring shame on the family"? Do you already participate or perform in creative sexytimes but have to deal with stereotyping and bigotry? Come talk to me - at the very least we can commiserate and share rants.

Recommend a resource!

Do you know someone or something I could check out - activism, performance, writing, media, project, whatever? Do you have a project you'd like some promotion for? Share! I'm especially interested in groups and resources in the Bay Area but anything goes.

Suggest funding sources (or give me money!)

At this moment this is my largest challenge, as I need to demonstrate the availability of enough funds to be able to obtain my F-1 US Visa, let alone afford studying. I am looking into scholarships and grants, though my complicated residency situation (Bridging Visa in Australia, Malaysian citizenship) limits my resources.

Here's how much I have to have available in a year (minimum for US Visa purposes, though my course is two years) - most numbers are provided by CIIS asides from airfare and visa costs, and all values are USD:

Tuition	$16974
CIIS Registration	$170
Bridging Visa renewal (AUS)	$87
SEVIS Visa Fee (USA)	$200
Housing/Food	$15450
Books/Supplies	$900
Transport in SF	$900
Return Airfare	$2000
Health Insurance & Personal Expenses	$4300
Total	$40981

The living expenses and airfare can be adjusted according to what I find in SF, but the tuition, registration, and visa costs are pretty set. So far I know that CIIS will give me a partial scholarship as an international student, but I still have to make up the shortfall.

I am looking at everything - scholarships, grants, loans, anything that an international student like me can access, preferably by August. Crowdfunding has been suggested as an option, but I've had mixed experiences with it, and I notice it seems to work better as a preordering mechanism - and I don't have anything tangible just yet. I have received some interesting offers and ideas, and would love to hear more.

You can also donate to my Paypal account using your own Paypal or a credit card:

If you use Pygg you can send this on Twitter:

@pygg pay @creatrixtiara $X Comments

Where X = the amount you want to send (in AUD).

If you'd rather pay direct to my Australian bank account, or have other ideas, let me know. Every dollar helps, every cent helps, every referral helps!

Spread the word!

Tell people about this project! Put it on social media, write about it, send people to me. This project will only work with your collaboration and sharing - dialogues rather than monologues.

Get in touch:

Use Our Contact Form Here

I hope to hear from you soon!