The Ultimate Self-Promotional List of Art I Have Created (So Far)

30 day blog challenge - day 29

Alright, here is the ultimate self-promotional blog.

I tend to get a lot of comments like "I didn't know you had a poetry book!" and "Wait, you have a CD?" so I figured I'd talk about all of my projects to date on one blog post. And I needed something to blog about today. Why not make an artistic resume blog post?

Painted (play) - 2007
 

The Story: In 2006, I wrote a play for my undergraduate playwriting class at Kennesaw State University. In spite of MANY obstacles, I produced and directed a production of the play at The Art Place with the help of The KSU Underground  Theatre and Film Movement. It was one of the best experiences of my life, and I created the characters, Vincent and Izabella, who I am still writing about today.

Synopsis: In Los Angeles, California, the famous actor, Matthew Morris, lives with his sister, Amber Morris, a famous painter. Amber has been in the same room for ten years painting portraits of the muses she has created, Izabella and Vincent. Matthew brings over his friends Brandon Thompson, the beer-guzzling drummer of a famous pop-punk band, and a coke-sniffing stripper named Mercedes. When Brandon invites his lead singer, Ian Mason, over to Matthew's, Ian sneaks into Amber's room, and her world is completely shaken.

The Status Now: All in All Productions filmed the original production along with a short documentary about our experience putting it on. You can watch the documentary here, and I believe All in All Productions still has DVDs featuring the play, the documentary, and even commentary from myself and Rachel Marshall (which is pretty ridiculous and funny). 

The play has only been produced once so far. There was supposed to be a second production in Augusta a few years ago, but that didn't end up happening. The script is still available for productions.


Leapfrog (film) - 2009

The Story: I wrote a screenplay for a short film. Michael Tillman directed it, and we pulled together a tiny cast and crew. (Everyone was involved. I was the screenwriter, and I held lights in some scenes. We all helped where we could.) We had a blast making this film in the summer of 2008. It ended up being screened at a few film festivals, including the Macon Film and Video Festival, and it was featured on Atlanta Shorts on PBS. 

Synopsis: 
Cameron, a young man who has just graduated from high school, ditches a job interview his Dad set up for him to climb a mountain and write. While there, Lacey, his old best friend, calls him and they decide to spend the day together. Much to his dismay, he learns that she has drastically changed during her time away at college. They spend the afternoon catching up and things start to turn out okay, but then she takes him to a college party and his world comes crashing down around him. Leapfrog is a poignant look at the bittersweet pain of growing up, asking just how much we have to leave behind and what we can take with us.

The Status: I am no longer officially selling this film. (There is a bunch of music in the film that we never legally obtained the rights to. I was the Music Supervisor so I will take the fall for that one!) So I don't think it's a good idea to sell it. However, if anyone is interested in seeing it, I have a ton of copies. A scene from the film is also available here.

Unsent Letters (solo album) - 2009

 The Story: I had been writing and playing songs since 2004. In 2009, I decided it was finally time to record some of them. So I busted out my lap top, got my best microphones, and I made an album. It's very low fi, obviously, but I am still proud of it in many ways. It features songs like "Cyclone," "Rainwater," and of course the title track, "Unsent Letters." It has been featured on many internet radio stations and college radio stations. 

The Status: Well, I used a company to produce these CDs that has since gone out of business. Which means that it is only available in digital form on my website for now. (And I still have a few copies left.) I am hoping to re-release a re-mastered (or... you know, mastered for the first time!) version of this album that will then be available on Spotify and iTunes. For now, though, you can listen to it/download it on my music page.






Coiled and Swallowed (poetry book) - 2010

The Story: In 2009, I assembled a collection of my best poems, and submitted it to Virgogray Press. They decided to release it as a chapbook in 2010. It has since been reviewed by Black Heart Magazine.

Synopsis: Though Coiled and Swallowed by Sara Crawford begins with a poem anxious and questioning in “Spinning,” readers will find this collection of poetry by Sara Crawford to be honest and even light-hearted, a contrast represented dutifully by the second poem in the book, “Ode to Carpet.” As the book progresses we begin to see the personal and personable experiences whether in regards to love or excesses, adorations or musings; these poems seem to be questions and answers within themselves. 

The Status: I only have a few copies left of the original printing. I don't seem to be able to get anymore copies from Virgogray Press and the owner of that small publishing house has not been in touch with me when I have tried to contact him. I also didn't sign any contracts or anything so I am planning on doing a re-release of this one as well with photographs to accompany some of the poems. I will hopefully release this in print and e-book formats.





Pocket the Moon (album w/band) - 2011

 The Story: In 2010, I was in a project called Sara Crawford and the Cult Following. It was basically a backing band for my solo songs. When two of the members of that project left, it left Geoff and I to re-group and Pocket the Moon was formed. We collaborated to produce the self-titled album in summer of 2011. Geoff and I wrote all of the songs, played all of the instruments, and he recorded and mixed the album. This was an indie release to the max. With songs like "Rooftops," "Victoria," "Tangled," and "August," this album easily represents my best work as a musician and as a songwriter.

The album has since been played by many internet and college radio stations, and it has been featured in a few indie films. Geoff and I played all of my favorite Atlanta venues, and we even went on tour. We also made a music video for "Rooftops."

The Status: Pocket the Moon is available on iTunes, CD Baby, and Spotify. You can hear it in its entirety and download it (you name the price) at Bandcamp.





Driving Downtown to the Show (poetry book) - 2012

 The Story: Driving Downtown to the Show is a project that came out of a poetry writing workshop I took in my MFA Low Residency program at the University of New Orleans. Our professor, Bill Lavender, had us come up with a poetry writing procedure, consisting of rules that we would set for ourselves which would determine our writing schedules and content. We were to decide on a title before writing any poems, and the goal was to have a cohesive collection of poems by the time the semester was over. Because I was taking this class at a time when my main creative focus was my music career, I decided to use music as an inspiration for my procedure, particularly the Atlanta music scene.

The Status: This book is available for sale on my website and Lulu. I am hoping to release an e-book version soon.








The Snow Globe (play) - 2013

The Story: 
I started working on The Snow Globe, the play that would eventually become my thesis play, in Scotland the summer of 2012. I worked really hard on it all fall semester 2012 to make it good enough to argue that I deserved a Master's degree as a playwright. Luckily, I succeeded and finished my MFA in December 2012, thanks to this play. I then submitted it to YouthPlays, and it was published in 2013. 

The Synopsis: When a young girl, Tabatha, finds a snow globe in the woods, she soon discovers that a witch named Lavetta has enchanted the snow globe, created her own world inside with talking dolls, her snarky Cat, and an honorable crow. Tabatha enters the snow globe to find a neighborhood boy, Ethan, trapped inside. Together, they have to overcome obstacles to find a way out of the snow globe.

The Status: Although this play has not yet been produced, I am hoping that I will be able to self-produce it this year or next year. I am also hoping it will be picked up by other theatres. It is available via YouthPlays. I also made a video where I talked about my writing process with the play.




The 30-Day Writing Challenge: Begin or Enhance Your Daily Writing Habit (creative writing e-book) - 2014
 
 The Story: I literally just released this last week! It came out of some of the writing exercises and prompts I was writing for my writing blog. I was getting a lot of traffic from those, and people seemed to be enjoying them. People are also frequently asking me writing questions. So I have answered a number of them in this book. :-)

The Synopsis: The 30-Day Writing Challenge encourages beginner and advanced writers alike to stretch their writing muscles and create or enhance a daily writing habit. Each day, a new writing exercise/prompt is presented in an inventive collection that focuses on technique, inspiration, and craft by taking a comprehensive look across multiple forms and genres of writing.

The Status: The 30-Day Writing Challenge is available on e-book for $2.99 from Amazon










The Muses (young adult novel, part 1 of a trilogy) - 2015?

The Story: The Muses is a young adult novel I have been working on since fall 2012. In August 2013, the novel landed me a literary agent, who is in the long, arduous process of trying to secure me a book deal. The Muses is essentially a Painted spin-off, including Vincent, Izabella, and a few other characters from my original play. I have written a longer blog entry on my journey with The Muses if you are interested.

The Synopsis: 16-year-old musician, Sylvia Baker, has always been able to see Muses—mysterious beings who give artists inspiration—though they seem to be invisible to everyone else. After a near suicide attempt, Sylvia manages to climb out of the darkness of her mind by exploring her own musical abilities with the help of Travis, inspirational guitarist and classmate, and Vincent, the alluring British Muse who becomes Sylvia’s obsession. As she travels further into the world of these immortal beings that influence art, she finds herself in the middle of an epic battle between the modern Earthly Muses and the Original Greek Muses—some of which want her life. 

Set in suburban Atlanta in present day, Sylvia’s story is a journey of self-discovery told through the lens of a teenage girl finding herself through music and love. This Twilight meets The Perks of Being a Wallflower novel includes thought-provoking themes such as the purpose of art, the negative effects of alcohol and drugs, and crippling depression all while remaining true to the teenage experience with tales of love triangles, high school chorus concerts, and anxiety over driving.

The Status: I'm going to go ahead and be optimistic and say you can look for my book to be released by Scholastic in the fall of 2015! ;-)

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