This is uncomfortable to share, but I've always tried to show up honestly with this community.

I've been a full-time freelancer for 15 years. It's always expected that freelance work comes in waves, but right now I'm in an extremely slow one.

Over the years, as I've made progress towards saving for emergencies, many difficult situations have arisen and drained those funds.

When I was pregnant in 2018, I lost all of my work 4 months before my son was born. Freelancers don't have maternity leave, and I went through those savings before the "leave" even started. I went back to work when my son was 3 weeks old.

I saved again. In 2020, my husband and I were both unemployed for the majority of the year as our industry shut down completely during Covid.

I saved again. I worked throughout my entire second pregnancy in 2022, took one week off for a c-section, and went back to work with my daughter on my chest when she was one week old.

For a couple of years, things seemed steady. Then in 2024, everything started to shift. My industry has been in a steep decline ever since. Contracts have ended or been indefinitely postponed, brand work has dried up, and the gap between projects has been wider and wider. I'm constantly and actively pitching, applying, and working to secure income, but it takes time to rebuild, and bills are starting to pile up.

Being self-employed means no guaranteed paycheck, no safety net, and full responsibility for supporting my family and two young kids.

I'm raising $25,000 to cover three months of core household expenses while I continue to secure new work. This would give me breathing room and keep me from resorting to credit card debt, a problem I've tried extremely hard to avoid so far. I'm at a point where we're scrambling month to month.

I'm so lucky to have the platform and following that I've built with you all, but it doesn't generate real income. I know that can be surprising, but while I'm highly visible online, at best that equates to a couple hundred dollars a month in revenue from views.

If you're in a position to help, I'm deeply grateful. If you're not, sharing this page means just as much.

I plan to post updates along the way as I figure out this rebuilding season.

Asking for help is really hard for me. But I also know that community can show up for people when they really need it.

Thank you for being here with me. Truly.