Donate to help Nathan get back on his feet in NYC
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$750 raised of $4.5K
6 donations
Hey friends,
My name is Nathan and I am a graphic designer, art director, and writer. This June, I’m coming up on 10 years in New York City. I’ve built a career I’m proud of, met a whole host of absolutely incredible people who have changed my life for the better, and grown more than I really thought possible. However, an invariable part of growth is struggle. Last fall, I was laid off from my position as an art director at a commercial creative agency. In the year since the layoff, I’ve applied to more jobs than I can possibly count, but nothing has panned out in this incredibly difficult job market.
The result of all of this is that I’ve found myself in a pretty dire place with my finances and I’ve fallen behind on rent and bills. I’ve worked hard to get my head above water by taking on any freelance project or odd project while applying to jobs, as well as been fortunate enough to receive a few grants from organizations like the Author’s League Fund, Indiespace, and MusiCares; but just as I get myself out of the red on rent, another month hits, and I’m behind once again behind and I’m back in the same situation again.
My goal above all others is to stay here in the city. It’s become my home in the truest sense possible, and I know I have a lot more to offer it in return. I want to continue working within my industry, hopefully by finding full-time work while also exploring some incredibly exciting future opportunities that have been taking shape over the past few months, but I can’t make it happen unless I can find a way to stay. Perhaps more importantly, with this goal I am hoping to create a foundation while rebuild my finances and I secure work. This goal of $4500 would allow me to:
- Get caught up on the last two months of rent, which are overdue
- Pay the next two months of rent while I secure work and wait for payment from recent freelance projects
- Cover bills and living expenses, including groceries, utilities, prescriptions, and an overdue vet checkup for my cat
With this goal, my aim is to give myself the ability to give myself stable footing as I navigate the job/freelance assignment search, rather than slap on another bandaid that I’ll have to replace within a month or two. Long story short: I need a little bit of help. If you’re in the position to offer it, it would mean the world.
- Nathan