Project Paper Birds

Crossing the Finish Line

At long last, the official trailer for Paper Birds is here!

I want to start by giving a huge thanks to Jordan Graff, my editor, for putting this together. As you may know, this thing has been nearly half a decade in the making, and that’s if you don’t count its origin in a red dollar store notebook. There are a myriad of reasons for that, aside from the fact that things of this nature just. take. time. But the biggest ‘roadblock’ was me: I needed to regroup, slow down—and I’m so glad I did. That’s not to say I haven’t been self-conscious about drawing out the completion of the second half—I am. But it was unequivocally the right thing to do, and I can’t express how deeply comforted I am in knowing that, if I confided this in any of the supporters of this piece, I’d only be met with reassurance.

When I began Paper Birds, I was still running from myself. In fact, that’s what helped get the project off the ground: a desire to create change paired with the hope it would offset—or better yet, drown out—the ache in my bones. Well, it didn’t do either of those things. But the break did: Therapy. Reading. Safe connections. Small joys. Spirituality.

I’m still growing, yes; and I can’t give you a roadmap to wellness because that journey will always be a highly personal one. But in a world where cynicism sells, know that hope can be buried but never extinguished—it’s baked into the composition of your humanity. And when our souls finally get the water they need, in time, little leaves of green make their way through the ashes.

A huge thanks to everyone who made this project possible: my mentor, Changfu Chang; my assistant director and dear friend, Amber Stuart; the many talented camera operators, technicians, and interviewers (including Jaylen Hodge, Tyler Rake, Reed Donnelly, Spencer Seikel, and Taylor Green); as well as the professionals—both in the film and mental health worlds—for providing their time, support, and expertise: Stacey Irwin; Jim Hopper; Marcus Lewis; Mona Easterling; Lily Chen; and Rooted Lancaster. And last, but certainly not least, the quiet viewers, the outspoken supporters, and the tireless cheerleaders.

Often, I get asked if making this film was healing. The truth lies somewhere between “kind of” and “not exactly.” But what I can say with full confidence is that seeing people in my life (and online) show up for this project—this thing they had never personally endured, and maybe didn’t even fully understand—was.

If you’d like to learn more about the project, visit projectpaperbirds.com. Can’t wait to see Paper Birds finally take flight in 2026…stay tuned!