Help my mother begin her dream.

Hello everyone. My name is James and I am here hoping for the goodness inside people's hearts to help my mother accomplish her dream.


My mother, Jaqueline, is the strongest woman I have ever known. Marrying in her early 20's, she moved away from her home in Arkansas to live in Texas with my father. They lived in little better than a shack - along with my uncles and grandparents - scrambling for money and barely getting by as they tried to start a family construction business. The business was started and went very well. My family went from dirt poor to upper middle class in almost no time at all, though my father and mother would often argue due to my father being extremely old-fashioned and bigoted. Ten years later my father, who could not accept my mother's "modern way of thinking" as he called it, cheated on my mother with another woman, divorcing my mother, marrying this woman, and giving me a half-brother in a little less than a year.


My father left my mother with virtually nothing, despite all that she had done for him. I know my father’s side of my family, and I know how little business sense they have when it comes to organizing, planning, and fiscal responsibility. I am 100% certain that if it were not for my mother, my dad's family would still be living in the woods and struggling to find the money to eat. She has been the strong moral compass of my life, managing to keep me from doing anything stupid when in my depressive years in high school, and raising me to be what I hope is a kind person to other people. She does everything that she can with what little money we have to take care of me and the brother that lives with us. She does this all even despite being disabled, which means that she can not work a normal job.


So I am here to ask for help with starting what has always been my mother's dream- Art. This is, as you can imagine, a very hard career to begin. Though I do my best to help and pay the bills, I am unable to make the money that she would need to start this as a career. My mother has been very depressed for the last few years, understandably. Other than spending time with me and my brother, the only thing that ever brings her joy is her art, and I am certain that this is her dream job.


Here’s a sampling of where the money you’re donating will be going:
Supplies - paint, canvas, paper, coloured pencils, supplies for creating prints…
Selling spaces - Gallery spaces, positions in local sales conventions…
Website components - Site hosting, design, assets, plugins…
Publicity - Advertisements for any gallery showings, online adverts on art sites, business cards, signage…


The money you raise will allow her to kickstart her career as an independent full time artist.


She would name her company Firefly Blessings. These are examples of her art. I watched her do these - it took her little over 30 minutes to do each one - and these are what she considers easy! My mother knows how to do everything from traditional drawings, to making crafty things like birthday cards and fashionable bracelets.

Here is one more example of her artwork, something she sat down and drew for me on my birthday.





I hope that the surprise of raising her this money will help her see how amazing of a person she has been to me, and how much I (and everyone who donates!) believe she has the potential, dedication, and skill to do what I know will make her happy and provide her with a happy, safe, comfortable income. Thank you to everyone who might donate, or share this page. I cannot say that I have anything to give other than mine and my mother's absolute gratitude, but I can promise to anyone that helps that I will ask her if she will draw you a picture or make you something as way of thanks once the campaign ends.

Thank you, and God bless you all.