My name is Honey Ma and I am a disabled artist residing in Los Angeles, CA and I’m asking you to help me remain housed long term.
Since losing my job in December, I have been able to cover bills and rent, but now that my savings are depleted I’m terrified of missing rent and being taken to eviction court by my landlord for a second time.
I don’t want to beg for your charity but the fact of the matter is I live with severe ADHD, CPTSD, autism spectrum disorder, glaucoma, and no financial or local support system whatsoever.
When I first moved to LA about three years ago, I was much less disabled than I am now. After fleeing a physically abusive partner, I had to rebuild my life with no savings, no family on the West Coast, and no real plan. Despite the depression, loneliness, poverty, and debilitating migraines, I fought hard to make it to where I am now.
I try my hardest to monetize my artwork and make a career of it, but it’s highly difficult to do so without assistance. If I keep trying to do everything on my own, I’m afraid I might lose everything—including my life, as I don’t have other safe options for housing. I am able to make moderate to significant art sales each month but it still just isn’t enough to pay rent—but I know it could be if I were given the time and safety to truly build it.
The stress I’m under has caused several medical issues including the worsening of my glaucoma as well as reproductive health issues.
Fighting alone in this life is causing me to deteriorate mentally and physically. I am becoming more disabled as time passes, which means I am becoming less safe.
I’m doing everything I can—taking gig work, commissions I struggle to complete, applying for jobs daily, doing job interviews, taking government support in the form of food stamps—but no matter what, it’s just not enough to calm my nervous system enough to make art that’ll actually earn me a real income, even though I *know* I’m capable of that.
So please consider your contribution an investment in what I know can be a shining art career.
If other artists can build their careers on the safety of money from parents and grants, then I don’t think it’s far fetched of me to say I can build a career on a significant enough contribution from my community.
Thank you.