Help AJ Stay Alive and Thrive

I'm AJ, a  Black trans ceramicist in desperate need of funds to maintain stable housing, studio space, and eliminate debt accumulated from a series of destabilizing emergencies over the last year.

 

Experiencing homelessness and housing instability as a teenager in the rural south has made me grow up perpetually in fear of not having a home. As a result, I have constantly worked to keep some semblance of stability through adulthood. Financial stability meant holding service jobs that paid me minimally, working 40+ hours a week, running my body into the ground, all in the name of affording housing but leaving no time or energy for anything that brought me joy. Unfortunately, at my last long-term job, I experienced such a slew of rampant racism, sexism, transphobia, and verbal abuse that it sent me spiraling. Not only did that environment give me chronic back and knee pain, it also wrecked my mental health. I regularly had paralyzing panic attacks at work and couldn’t even continuously afford therapy to counteract the day-to-day trauma.

 

Leaving my customer service job as a grocery store clerk at the start of the pandemic was a blessing for my mental health however I took a massive hit to my sense of stability. As I processed the innumerable amounts of discrimination that I faced and witnessed as a Black trans  person at the hands of my previous employers, I came to understand how those experiences dramatically impacted my health. As a result, I realized that it was no longer safe nor sustainable for me to continue seeking employment from other companies who would only justify their blatant discrimination and racism. I decided to turn to my art to create my own business and generate income for myself.

 

I started doing ceramics in early 2020 and immediately felt filled up by the joy and freedom this medium brings me. Unlike my previous employers, it allows me to rest when my body needs it, and it does not rely on the exploitation of me or any other marginalized folx. This work also brings me closer to my community; through it, I can donate my art to much-needed mutual aid efforts that support other Black and brown people.

 

After car troubles, pet emergencies, and a loss of work that caused me to tear through my savings, forcing me to rely on credit cards to keep me afloat throughout the pandemic, I can start to see stability on the horizon. However, I have not achieved stability yet and can admit that I’m extremely overwhelmed and exhausted by the weight of carrying this debt, and I perpetually feel stuck.

 

Raising $35,000 will guarantee that I have stable housing over the next year, be able to pay off my credit card debt which will drastically improve my credit, and secure studio space which will collectively contribute to my physical, emotional and financial well-being.

 

I am hopeful for a future where I can make art, give back to my community, and have a life where my health is cared for. I believe that this is achievable for me with community support. If you have any amount to give, it would be infinitely appreciated and be a massive relief to me! Thanks for reading and coming on this journey with me. Please donate and share with your communities!

 

AJ