Hey Indiegogo fans,
My name is Jake Faivre and after getting out of the Marine Corps in 2009 after 2 combat deployments to Iraq, I find myself struggling with depression, anxiety and feelings of hopelessness. In August 2015 I started a blog called, A Marine's Life In Lyrics and have been writing about my journey. When I started writing I had no idea where it was all going to lead or what I might find along the way.
After sharing some of my story in the blog, I quickly found out I wasn’t the only one going through this. I found there were many many others going through a lot of the same things I’ve been struggling with. Many others were asking themselves the same questions I had been asking myself. Old friends and strangers alike were reaching out to tell me how my writing was helping them cope with their problems.
I've decided to take action and put together a documentary discussing the social and emotional struggles of veterans separated from the service. My hope is that having a dialogue will help break down the social stigmas that keep veterans, or anyone suffering from a mental health illness, from getting the help they need and deserve.
The documentary will cover 3 parts
- The first being of nature and self-reflection. In March I will be embarking on a 5 month trip that will see me cover more than 9,000 miles in the car and another 1,000 miles or so by foot, and backpack. This road trip is going to take me from my Northern Illinois home to the southern and western parts of the U.S. I will be stopping at numerous national and state parks, with the culmination of the trip being a 500+ mile (4-6 week long) thru-hike attempt on the Colorado Trail (Denver to Durango, CO) in hopes that nature and self reflection can provide me with the therapy I wasn’t able to get through other avenues.
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The second part of the documentary will include stopping at different places listed below along the trip and interviewing former Marines I served with to help share their stories and help us both find meaning and purpose behind our time in the service and our transition back to the civilian world.
- And in keeping with the theme of the blog, the third part of the documentary will include a number of original songs I wrote the lyrics for and my friends Kaston and Nick from the band My Politic will be producing and recording the music.
I will continue to write and keep up with the blog as a way to help keep my supporters up to date on where I am and what I’m doing. I want you all to feel as much a part of this as possible. Thank you for helping me tell my story and for helping those who have been struggling with combat related mental health issues. What We Need, The Budget/Plan & What You Get
I'll be the first to admit, this isn't my type of thing; asking for money that is. While I have invested a fair amount of my own money into this project already, I need some help to make it the rest of the way. This is where you come in.
I am asking for $25,000 which is no small chunk of change I'll admit, but if you see my budget below, you can rest easy knowing where it's going.
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(Note-the total in this spreadsheet says $19,197. The remaining $5,803 is to cover Indiegogo processing and transaction fees, attorney costs, post-production costs and for My Politic to produce the original music.)
Leg one of the trip: Interviews in Boulder, Oklahoma City, Jackson, New Orleans, and Houston.
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Leg two of the trip: Interviews in San Diego, Sacramento, Oregon, and Washington.
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Last leg of the trip: drive back to Colorado with some stops along the way for the start of thru-hike attempt.
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In the event that I do not reach the total goal of $25,000, I will still go forward with making the film. I already have different backup plans in place but to be perfectly honest, the quality of the film just won't be as good. On the flip side, if the project gets more than the asked funding, all overages will go to upping the filming and post-production quality of the film.
What you get is to be a part in sharing the stories of those who went off to war and came home a different person - for better or worse. There are a number of different contribution levels that are available so make sure to check all those out. Each has it's own way of making you feel like you're a part of the project in one way or another.
I hope this helps you understand what you're supporting a little better and that my transparency has given you the confidence to know that I can be trusted with your contribution. Thanks in advance for you support!
Call to Action
While I obviously have personal stock in this documentary, and this trip, I believe there is a bigger picture here. I've seen how helpful just opening up and having a dialogue about the problems you're having can be and I want to encourage others to do the same.
I have found great relief in talking to my Marine friends since starting the blog. It can be very empowering knowing you're not the only one who feels a certain way. A film such as this can also help break social stigmas.
Many service members feel unable to come forward because of the stigma of PTSD and other mental health illnesses related to combat veterans. Often they fear being looked at as weak or being looked down at by their fellow servicemen/women. They can also feel as though seeking treatment can have negative affects on their career. Unfortunately, veterans who do not seek treatment often turn to substance abuse, or in some cases even suicide, as an escape.
I believe the greatest asset veterans have are each other and my vision is that this documentary will encourage those who maybe haven't talked to one another in too long, to reach out and see how the other is doing. To seek treatment if you need it. To take care of each other now, like you did back then.
I've also seen how powerful spending time outdoors can be as a form of therapy. My hope is the footage from the outdoors inspires others to get outside and find their own therapy. I wrote a
blog post about this a month or so ago.
Risks & Challenges
While I've spent months planning for this trip and film, being a first time film maker there are obviously going to be some setbacks or unexpected delays. But I truly believe there is nothing that is going to hold me back from producing a quality, HD film that brings about a dialogue regarding veterans transitioning out of the military.
I want to be clear, this isn't a documentary only about depression, or my story. I wanted to examine the lives of a number of others I served with who have all had different experiences since separating from the Marine Corps. I do not wish to make anyone speak on a subject they do not feel comfortable discussing or push someone into a category they do not belong in. While there are others who share a similar story to mine, there are others who have gotten out and transitioned back to civilian life seamlessly and are doing very well for themselves.
With that being said, any problem/issue/setback I might have along the way, whether it be a broken camera, weather related problems, or car troubles; I will adapt and overcome - that's what Marines do best after all.
Other Ways You Can Help
While I understand there will be many who see this and don't contribute, I hope you still take some form of action. Maybe you know someone who has been struggling with these same types of feelings or maybe you yourself have been struggling; please reach out to someone...anyone. You'd be surprised how relieving it can be.
And of course, you can always share this link with others on your social media pages.
Thanks again for checking out my page!