One of my very best friends is in the hospital.
She could be there another several weeks or even up to a couple of months.
There's no way to guess.
I met her several years ago and the way we experience(d) our lives is so similar that we made an instant connection and I would do ANYTHING for her.
She is a childhood physical/mental/sexual abuse survivor, just as I am.
[It's how we met.]

Currently, every Wednesday and Friday I take her gifts and such,
but I want to do something REALLY special.
Since the last time we were in the hospital together, she's produced her first album of all lyrics in which she's written and ones that I, and anyone who's experienced abuse, treatment, or even just the trials and tribulations of life can relate to so strongly.

I would love to hold a contest in which you may use ANY image, stock, your own photography, my stock, my own gallerie deviations, photo-manipulation, digital art, anything to depict the message of her songs. The top submissions that really speak the message through an image, I'd love to purchase prints from you myself and then deliver them to her.
Though there are eight songs (that's a HUGE accomplishment for someone with little money, living on the west coast, pressed studio time, and trying desperately to trudge through constantly immobilizing treatment) I think it would be best to go with the song "The Stars are Falling". I say this for two reasons; one, it's the album's title; and two, it's an easier song to work an image around. The title alone gives one an image in your mind's eye without even knowing the lyrics. Sure, the rest of her album has extraordinary lyrics and messages, but they aren't ones that inspire an bright or expressive image -- even though all her songs have an uplifting message.

Guys, you have NO idea how much she would appreciate this.
She live in LA (Los Angeles, not Louisiana) never gets family visitors, can't just get things like clothes or drinks of food brought to her. (except me this time.) I'm on the East Coast. ((I live in PA, but the hospital is in MD))
She would be SO TOUCHED.
She needs love, care, support.

i feel this would be the most wonderful gift to her.



THE REASON YOU'RE REALLY ALL "WINNING".
I might hold a poll for others to pick their fave submission and I might offer subbies and features and all sorts of random prizes (I'm known for that, lol)
BUT! if you make them available as prints and I see many that are what I was hoping for her, I'll purchase the prints so I can take them to her

I would love to have the contest last no longer the two weeks because insurance companies can toss you to the streets without warning, BUT, I'd prefer high-quality, thought through, well-refined, wonderful deviations. AND? even if she does discharge early I can still send them to her in the mail.

**CURRENTLY I'LL SAY THE DEADLINE IS THE END OF MARCH, BUT IF WE NEED TO POSTPONE A BIT THAT'S OKAY.** This is a no pressure, everyone wins, no true-timelined contest. I'll still take them next YEAR if that's when you find availability!


I'd LOVE to make this a HUGE thing all across dA. Because, a gift to her, is a gift to all of us who've been abused in any way -- and her gift to us is already given through her music, and i want her to always feel confident enough to continue making music. if we can inspire, encourage and lift her up, she will be able to hold the hope so many abuse victims can't seem to find sometimes ever. (no. i HATE that word, "victims", SURVIVORS we are.)

!!!SHE IS NOW A VOICE FOR THOSE WHO'VE BEEN SILENCED!!!

...she's become my best friend faster than anyone has.



ONE LAST THING
_______IMPORTANT________

The album itself has NOT been released yet since she was unexpectedly admitted to the hospital.
But, just before she left, she shared all her music with me through email and entrusted me fully that i wouldn't just go let people downloading it for free.
SO!
I've decided that all volunteers for this contest
***PLEASE NOTE ME***
and I will send you the lyrics, putting my trust in YOU as faithful deviants that these lyrics are one-hundred percent copywritten and owned by Elizabeth "Beth" Anderson.


If I get enough interest and enthusiastic response, I'll post this as a news article [what i'm doing now] and put it out to some of my more popular than i deviants, whom I'm becoming good friends with, and hope they, AND YOU!, will promote the idea and that you can all come behind me and spread the word. (notes, links to this note, FAVING this note, spread the world like mad!! haha) ...i've had the amazing honor to grow a bit closer to amazing artists like =krmenxa, *devils-horizon, ~StannLeigh, =create-illusions, and many other -- and I really believe they'd get behind me on this. I hope you do too!! they're amazing people. SO! as much feedback as possible would be WONDERFUL. I'll decide shortly if I'm going to hold the contest [NOPE! already decided! This game is ON, right now!!] for certain. and even if only ONE person created something, that's ONE deviation I could give Beth to make her Wednesday or Friday infinitely better. we just recently spent 3 months together in the hospital. you have NO idea what one _tiny little gift can do to change your WHOLE attitude for a WEEK and beyond!!!



<sub>and second most importance, we're paying attention to advocating STOP THE VIOLENCE. no more abuse. save the children. take no advantage of any woman or child. do not corrupt or abuse ANY boy, man, girl, woman, child, adult.





small snippet at the chorus:</sub>
The stars are falling from the sky.
These walls are caving in on me.
Can't you see me pleading?
Someone set my spirit free!
Loosen these shackles,
..or simply let me be.