Finding love in the modern age is hard, especially in the face of the isolation and emotional strife brought about by Covid-19. Whether you use Tinder, Bumble, or any of the other apps, you’ve probably been on a zoom date with someone whose personality is as dry as the sand in the Sahara and then you swipe for days without an eligible contender in site. Rinse and repeat.

 That's why I need your help, I want to find a husband. Healthy, intentional marriages are sacred, a basis for support, and, as a darker-skinned Black woman, especially elusive. Any and all money from this will go towards the following…

• An epic, national and international love quest to find Mr. Right. This quest will be fueled by strategy, frequent dating, and keeping an open mind and heart.   

• A serialized vlog account of this quest examining love in the modern age; culture, emotions, drama, my personal love life, and societal paradigms around matchmaking in the face of modern love. This vlog will be equal parts paying homage to and making fun of The Bachelor 😉

• Working with nationally-acclaimed matchmakers and love coaches, and distilling my learnings (based on our strategies) into write ups for all of you.

My mom and her Mr. Right (AKA my father), 36 years of marriage

PHILOSOPHY

This vlog series is an earnest yet enthusiastically comedic exploration of boldness and pushing boundaries. Why not ask my community for support in doing the most I possibly can to find the right romantic match? Especially when traditional avenues like online dating apps have proved unfruitful. Especially when Black women have not traditionally been seen in positions of power, ingenue, and luxury along the lines of romance. We should all have equal opportunities to strive for these things in life, to thrive in these spaces, but the hard truth is—women who look like me are routinely discriminated against (ie; Rachel Lindsay). 

To me, it felt scary and shameful to do something like this. But then, this line of thinking arose: "If X is something that I want and Y is something that I am capable of doing to get it...and my efforts are not hurting others, then why shouldn't I try this alternative route?." All Black women (including me) deserve love, romance, and all the privileges and luxuries not often afforded to us.

This project is about challenging paradigms and fears to expand the possibilities of our realities in love and in life because, really—why not me? All Black women (including me) deserve love, romance, and all the privileges and luxuries not often afforded to us. We need to see one another thriving in love and the pursuit of it.

Whether or not you donate, I hope this campaign is thought- provoking along these lines for you.

APPROACH

Part of what makes this love quest so epic is it's multi-pronged approach. Studies show that love is a game of numbers, strategy, and divine intervention.

• $10,000-25,000 GOAL: These contributions will go towards production + 1-2 matchmaker services  -- they will help with strategy and numbers over the course of 3-6 months. 

• $50,000 STRETCH GOAL: These contributions will go towards production + working with an ASSORTMENT of matchmakers and love coaches over the course of a year.

• $100,000 STRETCH GOAL:  These contributions will go towards all of the above plus travel (once it's safe to), national and international husband-hunting (virtually); a selection of US cities, then Greece, Brazil, Italy, France, and Canada (all husband-abundant locations).

Looking for a husband in Atlanta

22yo me was also an emboldened romantic

VLOG

Aesthetically akin to BTS moments of the hit TV show The Bachelor (that so many of us love/hate), the vlog series will be a highly stylized yet sincere account of my quest.

Speaking topics may be similar to the following:

• Did you expect to fall in love with [James]?
• Are you going to text him back?
• What is it like working with matchmakers, how does it compare to app life?
• What are the most significant emotional challenges of this quest?
• What thoughts have come up around privilege and systems of oppression? Specifically with regards to working with matchmakers and/or love coaches. 
• Are you in love with [Jeremy]?
• Can you explain why you're crying right now?

Bachelorette-inspired aesthetic; neon pinks and blues, romance, roses, emotion, pizzazz.

WHAT YOU GET

REWARDS

In supporting this project,  you’ll be able to choose from a tiered selection of rewards; featuring light hearted feel-good items for emotionally prompted supporters, information-rich rewards for the scholarly supporter, and even romantic experiences and guides for those of you looking to add a little pizzazz to (the love in) your life. 

• $5 - Virtual Air Kisses from me and my husband. We are so grateful. Thank you.

• $10 - A Personalized Love Haiku written by yours truly. Thank you.

• $15 - A Virtual Pre-wedding Reception Ticket. A quest kickoff event at the close of the campaign. 15 minutes of celebratory group dancing (ie: The Electric Slide, The Cupid Shuffle, The Macarena) followed by virtual drinks, virtual cake, and a Q + A. The reception will be held via Zoom. Throwing rice at the screen in pre-celebration of nuptials is recommended. Thank you. Lezdothis.  
 

• $25 - A Honeymoon E-Postcard from my husband and me. Hopefully from Hawaii. Or you'll get a digital postcard from somewhere on the epic quest; California, Greece, France, Nashville, etc. 

• $45 - The "Love Scoop" - Fun BTS updates about dates over the course of the quest! Plus 10 tips and insights around finding love in the modern age. The scoop tips will be informed by my experiences  with nationally acclaimed matchmakers over the course of the epic love quest.  

• $100 - The Wedding Singer - Congratulations! I will sing you a wedding song, and email you a video recording of it.  Perhaps, even in a wedding dress with dramatic mood lighting. 

• $150 - Matchmaker Deep Dive - A detailed writeup and special vlog recount on the ins and outs of working with matchmaking services (including rankings of specific agencies). Essentially, a fun case study. Plus, early access to the vlog quest series.  

• $250 -  The Wedding Plate PDF - An E-cookbook / activity book comprising 5 elaborately themed romantic dinner recipes and accompanying icebreaker activities (ie: The 21 Questions Game). Partake in these curated experiences at home with your own beloveds. Cuisine will be an assortment inspired by my epic quest travels and Jamaican American heritage. I'm a vegetarian, but I'll integrate some non-veggie experiences. 

Ackee & Boiled Plantains Dinner - from a failed relationship (still delicious, still romantic)

My Brother's Sesame Chicken, an experience contender

• $500 - Catch The Bouquet: Congratulations. You're invited to the wedding. If you come, I'll keep throwing the bouquet until you catch it. Or, I'll just send you a special thank you bouquet 💐 

• $1,000 - A 1:1 Philosophical Talk with the artist (me), about the motivations and challenges of creating this campaign. We can discuss things like the ethics of The Bachelor series and so on and so forth via Zoom.  

• $10,000 - Whoever you are, I will (metaphorically) marry you. Thank you. I will also walk you through all of the BTS work that went into building this project, and the BTS details of the quest upon its completion. Thank you. 

• Social Media Share - A free Romance Through The Ages Playlist. You don't want to miss this. DM a screenshot  of you sharing the campaign on any social media platform to @kimathearte on instagram,  and I will send you this exclusive playlist in exchange for your support. You're welcome.

TIMELINE

Once the campaign is funded, I will promptly begin working with matchmakers and love coaches (the love teams). Of course, I will be documenting all of this for vlog content with an at home studio setup, similar to how I shot the campaign launch video.

I will be virtually meeting with coaches and dates for the foreseeable 6 months.  If we meet our $10-25k) goal, the bulk of digital awards will go out roughly 6 months after the campaign closes. 

If we meet either of the stretch goals ($50k or $100k, rewards will go out in approximately 12 months.  The vlog series will be periodically released via instagram starting approximately 4-6 months after the close of the campaign - YAY! GET EXCITED!

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Entrepreneur, music video director, and conceptual artist Kimber-Lee Alston has been inspired by imaginative, beautiful, and playful depictions of women ever since she was a kid. One of her driving forces is opening doors between this world of beautiful imagination and life. She strives to blur the lines between dreams and reality, so that people can feel more comfortable with the unexplored magical parts of themselves and the world. In her video work, her signature retro-futuristic style is characterized by a sense of timelessness, dreamy surrealism, world building, and playful imagination. Rhythmically informed by decades as a dancer, her work investigates concepts of femininity, love, mysticism, pop-culture, and augmented reality. 

With a Masters of Engineering in Technical Entrepreneurship, a hot new virtual dance business, one successful Kickstarter campaign under her belt, a blossoming portfolio of directorial video work, and a new penchant for performance art, Kimber-Lee is a quintuple threat and not very humble. Most recently, she directed and creatively spearheaded a 60s vampire themed music video for Sad13, and a vlog series and campaign on Black Joy for Curology (Black History Month 2021). She is single. Get in touch here.

THANK YOU

Sincerely, thank you for your support of this project. It means a lot to me that you would take time out of your busy life to scroll this far down on the page. I see you and I appreciate you. Have an amazing rest of your life. 

 WORDS & PHOTOS FROM THE BEAUTIFUL  COUPLES THAT CONTRIBUTED 

Lloyd and Fiona, 11 years

“For me love is about those connections we gain and nurture as we live life...having these connections is what makes life worth living...there will be trials and tribulations, there will be great times, the connections that offer both are normally the connections that help you grow the most, we are all imperfect but finding that person that is willing to accept your imperfections and work with you towards a common goal is going to be simultaneously the most aggravating and rewarding experience”  - Lloyd

Cynthia and Stephen, 47 years

Cynthia and Stephen, Continued

 "1. Always put God first in your marriage. 2. Marry someone who could be your close friend as well as a spouse. 3. In an argument, use wisdom. Never say anything that leaves scars. You can’t take it back. Rather, bite your tongue or walk away. 4. Learn to humble yourself. You don’t always have to be the winner. 5. Say and do things once in awhile to let your spouse know they’re the one and you love them. 💕💕" 

- Cynthia and Stephen

Angela and Milton, 30 years

Angela and Milton, Today

"One word for love is trust. Love is a seed, but it needs water to grow. You have to be honest, consistent, loyal, and listen to your partner". - Angela and Milton

Silver and Matt, 4 years

"I think for me it was really impactful that we met in a gay bar. Everyone thought we’d never turn into anything serious, especially because he didn’t have a visa and had to leave the country every 3 months, but here we are. I think love is something that comes to you just because. There’s no explanation and there’s no holding back. True love doesn’t have any rules." - Silver

Lilia and Brent, 9 years

L

ilia and Brent, Cont'd

"Get a good couples therapist." - Lilia

Angie and Precious, 2 years

Paula and Harry (mom and dad), 36 years
 

"1. Know that the person you date, and eventually marry,  will be the same person who comes home with you after the wedding…While we can all improve, develop and grow, don’t go into a relationship, with the intention of changing the habits and traits of your partner that  irks you.  You have to be able to love them as they are. Love their endearing qualities and irksome qualities, or leave them alone.

2. In times of disagreement, don’t speak to your partner in anger, STOP.  When we are angry, we sometimes say mean hurtful things, which can never be pulled back and which leave an imprint somewhere in the soul of your partner.  Remember, you are best friends, treat each other that way, every day."

PRESS KIT

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yZBl64CZzkaqwD3qCLtu3bP2EpX7H7pN?usp=sharing

Credits: Written, Produced, Directed by Kimber-Lee Alston, Copy Editors: Erika Yost, Brett Lalli