Seeking Support--Stuck Between the Base and Summit

Updated to add: After what has thus far been a life filled with extreme peaks and valleys, climbing a rocky path sprinkled with beautiful moments connecting to the people I love, for the first time, reaching the summit is within reach. But I need a boost to finally get there.

We made it out of Texas, with the love and support of all of you, just about a year ago, and not a moment too soon, in more ways than one. We have had a heck of a year: medical issues, job losses, aging dogs, new adventures, intensive therapy, and learning to adapt to every bit of it without another adult around to help with bills or household needs (for better or worse). Every bit of that hardship would have been much harder to face without the sort of resources and infrastructure we simply didn't have access to before moving to Colorado.

While your sincerely appreciated contributions last year helped tremendously, we only raised about 20% of the original goal. Now, I'm suddenly facing a huge time-sensitive obstacle, and raising another 20-30% this week would fundamentally and quantifiably help me finally turn things around for my family. Literally.

Will you please consider donating if you're in a position to do so? Sharing this with someone you personally think might be willing and able to do so also makes a positive difference. Every little bit truly does help.

After 20+ years of struggle and housing insecurity, I have an opportunity to (very abruptly) transition into a new place just a few miles away, wherein I will be better equipped to support my household than at any time in the past and won't have to ask for your help so often! But in order for it to happen, my past-due balances on rent and utilities have to be paid in full, and that *must* be done within the coming week. I cannot do it without the help of my friends and community. Trust that I've done the math over and over, and have implemented all sorts of creative ideas to generate the $2.7K more than my usual budget this urgent new leap requires while still simultaneously doing my usual jobs to pay all the other bills. The alternative is to renew the lease and stay in my current apartment, with a rent increase that will only add to our existing financial and logistical strain. Obviously, that's not a viable alternative at all. Everything about the new apartment we've been offered is safer, smarter, more peaceful, and will undoubtedly enable me to, at long last, break a cycle of scarcity and stress in which I've been trapped for well over 20 years. It's being held for me as I'm writing this, by our wonderfully resourceful and compassionate property manager, who is also transferring the deposit and admin fees from last summer over to the other property. But she can only hold it for another week.

Yes, I am working, as a few have asked. In fact, I'm either working or mothering all day every day and late into each night. I haven't had a full night's rest in weeks because it takes a lot more than a 16-hour day to manage a household, work enough to fund that household, and also try my best to generate additional income so we can get closer to some semblance of peace and stability. When I have a rare moment of downtime, I typically spend it working toward leveling up my skills for better work opportunities or giving back to my communities through education and volunteering. This month, however, I've put everything I have into jumping this hurdle. It's more than worth the effort. Future Jen will be thankful for the paychecks, but Present Jen has exhausted her energy and financial resources.

I'll be posting a new update later today as well, detailing some of the latest offerings I've recently launched and ways in which I'd love to be able to help you. Your generosity and kindness is the only way it's been possible for me to even make it this far in my journey to freedom, and I am eternally grateful. ❤️

About a mile high, to be more specific.

TL;DR version: I’m taking my kid & dogs & moving soon to a place where we can be healthier & happier. It wasn’t initially my choice to move at this time, but I’m making the best of it & using the opportunity to start an exponentially more fulfilling chapter of our story. I need the help of my friends & fans because it’s not easy hoisting oneself out of decades of hardship punctuated by a truly traumatic couple of years.

We are embarking on the best adventure of our lives thus far.

Please consider contributing if you can! Every bit helps. There are several ways you can gain something from this, too, if that’s what inspires you.

Preface: If you’re reading this, you probably either know me or know someone who does. So, it stands to reason that you likely also know that for me to be asking for help with something so personal—something that’s at least as much about me being happy & creating a more joyous, fulfilling life as it is about helping others—is a pretty big deal. In the past, I’ve often needed others’ generosity, but always in the context of something my kids/family needed. What I’m asking for today is fundamentally different. Reaching my goal will, indeed, enable me to more freely help others, provide a better life for my kids, & enter into a symbiotic housing arrangement that would be a relief for the other party, but it also enables me to follow some lifelong dreams in a way I’ve never had the opportunity to do before. 

Any contribution you can make will bring me closer to this exciting new reality, & for that I am already so grateful! 

Rewards include digital art, physical art prints, free classes, & makeup sessions with me for your personal or professional photos/videos/events.

The opportunity is described below, as well as my proposed ways we can help each other. If you want to skip some of the wordy explanations & make a simple donation, please don’t feel pressured to read the rest but do keep an eye on your email for updates & rewards. Thank you immensely for reading & for considering helping make this happen with/for me. ❤️

The problem & the plan: I am in the process of a major transition, due to a combination of a dwindling pandemic, my engagement ending, & the city I’ve loved for nearly 2 decades becoming a place I can’t seem to even live anymore, let alone thrive. I’ve found myself looking for a new place to live recently (not just myself but also my teenager & 2 large aging dogs), which has brought me to the realization that it’s time to leave the Austin area. I have plenty to say about how I came to that conclusion, but won’t bore y’all with that here. 

So I decided to answer a call that’s been ringing for me for over 20 years & move to Colorado. There are many great reasons why it’s a practical choice for me & Atom, & many others why it scratches other itches that I know I’ll find emotionally grounding & endlessly inspiring.

I’ve taken my CO alcohol server/seller certification so I can easily find part-time work in the service industry as needed, & will be expanding both fine arts presence. Expanding my accessories line inventory & retail presence both online & in physical stores as well.

All of this also opens the door for me to finally pursue a career path that’s been pulling at me since I was 17: art therapy. I’ll be developing hands-on healing workshops as I work toward going back to school & studying for the relevant degree & certifications. Access to those workshops & opportunities to help me shape the program as they’re being developed is one of the perks I’m offering to donors & investors who help me make it happen. 

Everyone who contributes to this campaign will be updated as the situation develops & as the various reward offerings become available to distribute. 

Patrons will also be added to a new tier there specifically made for updating & dispersing campaign-related news & benefits. ❤️ patreon.com/jenheartsart 

Thank you again for being a part of our little circle, & for all you do to support artists/fellow humans/your friends!