Finding and Funding the Big 4-0

Patch blogger Aimee Cebulski is hoping to kick start a new phase in her life. Cebulski, a photographer and writer, has been traveling the world for the last 15 months, interviewing women, who are all 40 years old, to find out what this milestone really means on a global scale. And she has just five days to reach her Kickstarter goal—to raise $4,000 and publish The Finding 40 Project, the stories of these 40 unique women.

To date, Cebulski, who recently turned 40 herself, has interviewed 30 women from eight different countries. She’s captured the stories and photos of these incredibly diverse women, interviewing subjects ranging from a homeless woman in San Diego to a mother of seven in Ecuador. Cebulski even chatted with Natalie Morales, a mom and full time news anchor on NBC's The Today Show. 

"Some of these women have the same issues and challenges, just on a completely different scale," she said.

Cebulski will finish up interviews in Pakistan, Dubai, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka and Maldives later this year.

“I’ve been writing this book as I’ve been interviewing the women,” said Cebulski, who came up with the book idea at a friend's 40th birthday party. She said she knew what 40 meant for her, but she wanted to find out what it meant to others.

In a previous blog post on Patch, Cebulski asked if 40 was the new 30 or even the new 20.

“Even more so, would you want it to be? Personally, one of the things I have liked about the march to 40 is the ability to be wiser and just a bit slower. I no longer feel like I have to rush to keep up with others or push to get to the front of the line, whatever that line may be for. I know who I am and what I want; I know what matters. At 20, I definitely did not know what really mattered. Forty may be physically the new 20, but at least emotionally I hope it never is,” she said in her post.

Cebulski’s Kickstarter campaign allows backers to pre-purchase her book, which will be available in spring 2013 or the PDF e-book, available in February 2013.

Kickstarter is a website used as a funding platform for creative projects. Since Kickstarter launched in 2009, some 30,000 art, design, fashion, film, food, music, publishing or innovative technology projects have sought capital from donors online.

“Kickstarter allows a community as whole to say ‘I believe in your project and want to make it a reality,’” said Cebulski.

She will need to meet her fundraising goal by Oct. 31, 2012 to receive the pledges. If she does not meet the financial goal, she will not receive the funding and Kickstarter will not charge the donors. The process is all or nothing.

Read more about Cebulski’s The Finding 40 Project and her Kickstarter campaign online. And share some of your thoughts on being female and 40.