- A
- M
- C
My cat and best friend passed away suddenly, also costing me my savings while being unemployed since June. I made an Etsy shop and this fundraiser to help recover from his vet bills, and consequently, my continued ability to apply to jobs and work on my dissertation. #2020
You can go to https://www.etsy.com/shop/MyMarleysMarket to check out any items you would prefer to purchase for the same cause.
I've been unemployed living on savings since June and my cat recently became very ill. After trying everything to save him, he passed away suddenly from cancer. The whole experience has been absolutely devastating. I've been on the job market like so many others, but I couldn't *not* try to help him, especially since he was only ten. I paid for emergency care before knowing the inevitable. These things never come at the right time, but losing the love of my life has hit much harder than I anticipated. Marley got me through grad school and isolation from this pandemic, after meeting at the Meowtropolitan nearly four years ago during cat yoga. Any animal lover will tell you that sometimes we get fortunate enough to find a once in a lifetime companion who is an extension of ourselves, and that was him. His personality was incredibly dynamic, I joked affectionately that he was my little person. I have lived with ~15 cats over the years, he was one of a kind.
I cannot adequately describe the raw and hollow wound I am left with in his absence. I believe I'll never again be the person I was when I was with him. I fell asleep every night with him next to me and a deep sense of grounding, wholeness, and belonging. He was so much more than just a cat, and I am so heartbroken. Putting this together has taken several more weeks because I keep getting upset editing his pictures and writing about him. I miss him so much.
The only thing that has helped me process losing Marley and sustain myself through the job application process has been making jewelry. I very rarely part with what I make because it's been a form of therapy for me since I was ten. I'm selling my stuff now though because the thought of sharing what I love with people who might love them and wear them in Marley's honor gives me great joy. It helps me feel like I'm still close to him and that I'm putting something back out into the world.
I was encouraged to follow through with this project because of my unemployment as well. I have applied to part time jobs, temporary jobs, full time jobs, here where I live, as well as remote positions, AND in like five different industries: education, arts organizations, state jobs, consulting, advising, foundations and philanthropy, anything at UW I'm remotely qualified for, and advocacy jobs. I've had only one rejection and otherwise no responses. Making jewelry has at least helped me feel like I can put my energy into something and have a tangible outcome, which might make someone else happy!
Overall, the toll the past few months has taken is significant. I have slowly lost many of the parts of my life that shaped how I have identified myself for the past four years - my job, my community, my sense of purpose, my little dependable support fluff - which has resulted in my inability to recognize myself and develop some pretty intense imposter syndrome. I have socially isolated myself as a result, unable to repeat the same "how are you" response about my loss, confusion, sadness, fear, and exhaustion. I apologize to those I still have yet to reach back out to. Thank you for your patience.
I'm not good at asking for help, but I often tell those I love that asking for help is a virtue, so I took my family's advice and am putting myself out there despite the embarrassment and looming fear of rejection. I've been known for the past few years as someone who serves others. Now, I'm not in a place of service and I feel like I'm letting down my greatest supporters, and myself.
I'm not unique, I know that thousands if not millions of people are reeling financially, emotionally, socially, and psychologically right now. I have always been able to support myself independently; I have funded my PhD myself for the past three years through community service. But not only is funding for music education graduate degrees non-existent at the moment, jobs in education and the arts are also difficult to find given 2020 unemployment rates and this tragic economy. What a perfect storm of madness! I think denial has been a strong force against admitting until now that I am part of our population that is struggling. It's embarrassing and stigmatized, but nevertheless true.
My goal is to finish my dissertation by June 2021, but which I cannot accomplish without work. I have been honored as the twice elected President of the Graduate and Professional Student Senate at UW the past few years, which gave me great purpose and sense of belonging. My hope is to find something wherein I can also contribute my time to helping and serving others. My research in music education is founded on social justice principles and ways of making it more accessible and equitable for kids from all backgrounds. I guess what I hope to communicate is that by helping me get through this wall, only if you are interested, I believe that it equips me to be able to continue helping others. You are more than welcome to visit my linkedin.com/in/giulianaconti to see my work more in depth.
If you have read this far, thank you. I expect nothing and am grateful for the support of those close to me who have encouraged me to put myself out there. 2020 has been horrible for so many people. If you are inclined to support my Etsy shop or fundraiser, thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart. Even if you do not but you would like to reconnect, it would be such a pleasure to put myself back out there socially and work toward healing, with your help. Isolation is so much easier, but not necessarily the healthiest. I hope you are taking care of yourself and those you love. Thank you again.
You can go to https://www.etsy.com/shop/MyMarleysMarket to check out any items you would prefer to purchase for the same cause.
I've been unemployed living on savings since June and my cat recently became very ill. After trying everything to save him, he passed away suddenly from cancer. The whole experience has been absolutely devastating. I've been on the job market like so many others, but I couldn't *not* try to help him, especially since he was only ten. I paid for emergency care before knowing the inevitable. These things never come at the right time, but losing the love of my life has hit much harder than I anticipated. Marley got me through grad school and isolation from this pandemic, after meeting at the Meowtropolitan nearly four years ago during cat yoga. Any animal lover will tell you that sometimes we get fortunate enough to find a once in a lifetime companion who is an extension of ourselves, and that was him. His personality was incredibly dynamic, I joked affectionately that he was my little person. I have lived with ~15 cats over the years, he was one of a kind.
I cannot adequately describe the raw and hollow wound I am left with in his absence. I believe I'll never again be the person I was when I was with him. I fell asleep every night with him next to me and a deep sense of grounding, wholeness, and belonging. He was so much more than just a cat, and I am so heartbroken. Putting this together has taken several more weeks because I keep getting upset editing his pictures and writing about him. I miss him so much.
The only thing that has helped me process losing Marley and sustain myself through the job application process has been making jewelry. I very rarely part with what I make because it's been a form of therapy for me since I was ten. I'm selling my stuff now though because the thought of sharing what I love with people who might love them and wear them in Marley's honor gives me great joy. It helps me feel like I'm still close to him and that I'm putting something back out into the world.
I was encouraged to follow through with this project because of my unemployment as well. I have applied to part time jobs, temporary jobs, full time jobs, here where I live, as well as remote positions, AND in like five different industries: education, arts organizations, state jobs, consulting, advising, foundations and philanthropy, anything at UW I'm remotely qualified for, and advocacy jobs. I've had only one rejection and otherwise no responses. Making jewelry has at least helped me feel like I can put my energy into something and have a tangible outcome, which might make someone else happy!
Overall, the toll the past few months has taken is significant. I have slowly lost many of the parts of my life that shaped how I have identified myself for the past four years - my job, my community, my sense of purpose, my little dependable support fluff - which has resulted in my inability to recognize myself and develop some pretty intense imposter syndrome. I have socially isolated myself as a result, unable to repeat the same "how are you" response about my loss, confusion, sadness, fear, and exhaustion. I apologize to those I still have yet to reach back out to. Thank you for your patience.
I'm not good at asking for help, but I often tell those I love that asking for help is a virtue, so I took my family's advice and am putting myself out there despite the embarrassment and looming fear of rejection. I've been known for the past few years as someone who serves others. Now, I'm not in a place of service and I feel like I'm letting down my greatest supporters, and myself.
I'm not unique, I know that thousands if not millions of people are reeling financially, emotionally, socially, and psychologically right now. I have always been able to support myself independently; I have funded my PhD myself for the past three years through community service. But not only is funding for music education graduate degrees non-existent at the moment, jobs in education and the arts are also difficult to find given 2020 unemployment rates and this tragic economy. What a perfect storm of madness! I think denial has been a strong force against admitting until now that I am part of our population that is struggling. It's embarrassing and stigmatized, but nevertheless true.
My goal is to finish my dissertation by June 2021, but which I cannot accomplish without work. I have been honored as the twice elected President of the Graduate and Professional Student Senate at UW the past few years, which gave me great purpose and sense of belonging. My hope is to find something wherein I can also contribute my time to helping and serving others. My research in music education is founded on social justice principles and ways of making it more accessible and equitable for kids from all backgrounds. I guess what I hope to communicate is that by helping me get through this wall, only if you are interested, I believe that it equips me to be able to continue helping others. You are more than welcome to visit my linkedin.com/in/giulianaconti to see my work more in depth.
If you have read this far, thank you. I expect nothing and am grateful for the support of those close to me who have encouraged me to put myself out there. 2020 has been horrible for so many people. If you are inclined to support my Etsy shop or fundraiser, thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart. Even if you do not but you would like to reconnect, it would be such a pleasure to put myself back out there socially and work toward healing, with your help. Isolation is so much easier, but not necessarily the healthiest. I hope you are taking care of yourself and those you love. Thank you again.