GREETINGS!
It's been quiet over here. I've been quiet over here. Just living. Working. Parenting. Momo is three. F-ing three. I can't believe it. I wanted to touch in today to invite anyone in the LA area to a screening, panel discussion, and art exhibit on Saturday, June 9th at Venice Arts in Marina Del Rey.
Here are three reasons why I think you should come:
1) Because after 90 minutes of watching me get vag exams and crying my face off, Noah and I are going to host an awesome panel. We've invited five incredible people who have built their families in different ways. One through open adoption, one through egg donation, one is a single mom by choice who created embryos through egg and sperm donation, then donated her remaining embryos to other people who have made babies with said embryos, one who is a parent via gestational surrogate, and one incredible guy who just went through TESE (a surgery where sperm is extracted straight from the testicle) and found out he and his wife will need to move to a sperm donor. What all these people have in common is the struggle and the determination and the ability to have shifted gears in regards to how their babies would come to them. And I'll get to talk to them about their process and about what it means to make modern families. Doesn't this sound better than re-runs of Basketball Wives? I mean...come on.
2) Because the film is part of a really moving art exhibit called the ART of Infertility The ART of Infertility is an international arts organization based in the U.S. Founded in 2014. They curate innovative and emotionally provoking art exhibits to portray the realities, pains and joys of living with IF. They also design engaging curriculums to host art and writing workshops. They plan educational, outreach events. They advocate for infertility rights. Most of all, they provide support for those living in the shadows of infertility. Through art, they break the silence around reproductive grief and push back against common misconceptions. They. Are. Awesome. The exhibit has over 300 pieces in their permanent collection (that they are lugging across the country right now) and it's a very different take on advocacy and support and coping.
3) Because we just made tickets FREE. Because infertility is friggin' expensive enough. Why not hang with people who may understand you on a different level, understand the different ways babies can be made, and have a glass of wine in a thought provoking art exhibit.
Are you sold? Hope so. Would love to see you there!
i love this post.. thanks for sharing
Posted by: femiint | June 27, 2018 at 10:15 PM
Watched your documentary last night into the wee hours of the morning and laugh/cried the whole way through it as it was so reminiscent of so many aspects of our story (one daughter via IVF, one unsuccessful and totally emptied bank account on IVF try #2, lots of testing, poking, prodding and months and months of progesterone sore then numb hips.
Found you when searching on embryo donation which is where we are in our process and I am so happy there are people out there my age doing this and speaking out loud about it and not being embarrassed about it because if my 40-percent-chance-of-success kiddo is born next year I don't want there to be a single iota of shame! Thank you so much for your openness. To hear your voice feels like I'm being given a voice.
Posted by: Kristen C | June 27, 2018 at 08:19 AM
I wish I could have gone! We are going to LA next week, we missed it for a few days. Please let us know how it gooes.
So good to hear from you Maya.
Posted by: Maria-Belén | June 15, 2018 at 11:22 AM
I wish I lived in the area, I would love to go! Good luck and I hope there is a great, supportive turnout!
Posted by: Lisa Padilla | June 07, 2018 at 10:13 AM