Help Lia get back on her feet

Hey everyone, my name is Lia and I’m a Black animator and illustrator living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Like many others, I’ve unfortunately fallen on hard times; I have been trying to seek employment for the past year and a half in my respective fields, to no avail. On top of the pandemic and living near the apex of the George Floyd protests in 2020, it's been difficult to physically and mentally push through my daily life. Many businesses in my city have foreclosed, making Minneapolis a ghost of what it once was and making job prospects scarce. I’m thankful to my partner, who is helping where they can, and I’m glad my insurance covers my therapy and psychiatrist needs. However, I still have expenses that haven’t been met and that are continuously piling up: phone bills, card payments, a recent pet emergency, utilities, and rent.

I’m frustrated, and I’ve been reaching my limit for a long time. I’m still dealing with the racial fatigue from this past summer and years prior, when creative opportunities have been waved in front of many Black artists with no concrete follow-through –– on top of the constant exhaustion of being Black in America. On a personal level, I’ve now started to pick up pieces I didn’t want to confront were broken. Asking for help has been very difficult, so I’ve been trying to push through on my own. I’ve felt a lot of hesitation even making a GoFundMe in the first place, stemming from me viewing it as a personal failure, but it’s what I need to do at this point. I can no longer carry this weight, and I desperately need assistance.

I’m making this GoFundMe with $10k as my goal, which will help me take care of myself and my financial needs (rent, bills, debt, etc) for several months. I want to use these next months as a “reset” period, during which I can focus on healing, recuperating, and rebuilding myself and my life. I really appreciate everyone who has helped me thus far and their continued love and support. It means the world to me.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for any help you’re able to give.