The short story: I have not yet met my needed goal, and this is now even more urgent.
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The better update for those who want to support me, my art and my post-divorce recovery:
For those who might be wondering, I want to give an update on the status of my financial need to recover here from an accumulated
DEFICIT (JUST ONE OF MANY OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS AS I’VE WORKED DILIGENTLY TO NAVIGATE THIS SITUATION) that mainly began to be MORE DIRELY SURFACING in mid June/July.
July is typically a slow month because people are on their vacations and that impacts my business. HOWEVER, with the ending of my “temporary, rehabilitative” alimony last June 2023 (and my business STILL NOT) more quickly rebounding to its “pre 2012” condition), this is going to be an ongoing struggle, especially with the state of other things in our economy, currently, which I do hope will soon change and turn around.
I do believe my situation is fixable and NOT hopeless, and I keep working toward that end. However, it is NOT fixable if there are not clients and friends who will step up and say, “I believe in you, Eileen, and I believe in your continuing to use your God-given gifts and talents for His will for your life and those who benefit from what you do.”
I’m just being really direct here. I am in a position of needing clients and friends to take action and respond to my repeated requests for a “hand up” and not a “hand out.” People who will weigh whether purchasing some items that do NOT require me to spend excessive “new time” in order to overtake my DEFICITS, stay in the game, and offset the ENDLESS HOURS of time spent over the past four years in trying to be both a Christian woman and Christian business person who will NOT roll over and lose everything I’ve worked so diligently for since 1989, which would include the stability of having my own home where my grown sons and (hopefully one day) my grandchildren will come and go and partake of the godly Christian heritage my heart so longs to share with them–just as other people do on holidays and in the “everyday.”
1 Timothy 5:18 New King James Version (NKJV)
For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”
Those who know me best, and especially those who have partaken of my art and my “going the extra mile” time and who have been to my home-studio in Delaware, or in Alabama or here in Pennsylvania are the people I am counting on to “understand” my situation best. People who will not try to think of “new ways” for me to go at this stage of my life but rather, again, people who believe in me and all I’ve so (imperfectly) stood for during my adult life.
I was a wife (twice), a mother and a homeschool mom, and a HOME-BASED business woman. I am now twice divorced, to my grief and otherwise, because there are some things I will not tolerate.
I work, and I even “job create” to a degree (yes, I require an amount of paid help here with some of the overall situational tasks before me, necessary for my success) and I also WRITE.
I speak out. On my blog and otherwise. I speak about things THAT MATTER. And I do believe–though it is not provable of course–that I am the recipient of ongoing spiritual, demonic opposition that seeks to destroy me, destroy MY FAMILY, silence my VOICE and using of my God-given gifts that contribute to the encouragement and spiritual/mental HEALTH not only for myself but for many others in this world.
My stated life goal is now: TO CREATE AS MUCH ART AND BEAUTY IN THE WORLD AS POSSIBLE WITH THE LIFE THAT IS YET BEFORE ME.
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So in early September, I put out a quantified means to hopefully receive help and relief. I quantified that if I could sell 100 pieces of a $75 product that is beautiful, inspirational and worthy of gift-giving at the holidays or any day to encourage someone else (or to keep for yourself) that the immediate (step by step financial need/deadline) would be achieved. I specified that a response by September 15 would be needed. I also stated that I wished to utilize a GoFundMe so that others could easily see the accumulated status of response but that I was NOT simply asking for a donation. I was asking for what I’ve been asking for (in various ways through social media/Instagram/my website(s) and my studio newsletter for a long, long time in less direct ways, with trickling responses to selling products, some responses to new custom commissions and little to no response on Open Studio attendance or having people book a painting party here in my studio, in a setting well-equipped that I invested much cost, time and advertising last year in hopes that someone might come forward and say “Yes, I will book a party with 5 or more of my friends.”
I think/hope I have made it very clear that I want/need sales and business during this time/season of “post-divorce” recovery and 800 mile location back north during a worldwide pandemic in early 2020.
Three caring friends utilized the GoFundMe for a total of $325. In the photo are the products (collectively) I will soon be shipping to each of them, according to their amount given. I am grateful for that, and for their friendship over the years and practical encouragement of me.
Another friend responded with a personal phone call, followed by a significant “gift” that was NOT run through the GoFundMe, and they made it clear they neither wanted/needed any “product” in exchange, and I am also grateful for this person’s response. Because of the particular relational friendship with this person, I agreed to not send out any “product.”
On September 16, additional late fees were added to this specific situation, and I MUST make or schedule for deduction a payment amount of $4400 on or before September 30 or the situation will continue to devolve. I am getting a “better” (not perfect) flow of work right now and anticipate through the holidays (hopefully…but…there is still the election coming and other things making people nervous and NO, this is not a time for me to randomly panic and set myself on “some other” life course but to “stay the course” I believe God has for me) that will continue. I am going to continue promoting and hoping for better responses.
I have adjusted the needed amount in the GoFundMe to reflect the other gift made. I now have $3300 set aside and am $1200 short of making the payment. I will be able to put my end of month small pension I get from my first 20 year marriage toward it and likely some other payments I might receive this week HOWEVER, those funds are for CURRENT other bills.
A “deficit” IS A SHORTAGE THAT MUST BE MADE UP FOR LATER. So, I am once again sharing and putting the link in the comments, trusting that God will move in my situation in one way or another.
Due to the ability of one single friend in terms of generous PRACTICAL HELP beyond my ongoing desire for prayer, they accomplished the quantifiable amount that “33 people” might have done.
So now, I am quantifying that 64 more people (from a total reach of over 1100 people on my social media and through my business newsletter) would “stand in this gap” for my current need in a responsive, material manner.
In the comments, is the GoFundMe link.
In the two photos here, are (4) 11 x 14 matted product and one set of 8 cards that I am about to send out to the three people who used the GoFundMe.
For each $75 donation (people can see where I am with the goal with this “tool” of the GoFundMe, I will send you one matted calligraphy of “Expect to Pass” that would make a beautiful holiday gift to someone, or to a neighbor, or to hang in your own home as a reminder of a number of life-truths. I did the original calligraphy in 2006. This item I call a “derivative product” since it joins with the COUNTLESS pre-made items/prints/products that are so essential to my business thriving, in addition to custom orders, commissions, caricature drawing and in-studio painting parties.
If you care to make a lower donation, I will send out notecards.
I TRULY DO NOT WANT SIMPLE DONATIONS. ONCE AGAIN, I WANT SALES. AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A STRAIGHT FORWARD, QUANTIFIED WAY TO COMMUNICATE MY NEEDS, AND FAIRLY EASILY UNDERSTOOD?!
IT IS ONE SINGLE PRINT…NOT REQUIRING EXCESSIVE DISCUSSION TIME/SELECTION.
THIS PRINT IS SO UNIVERSAL IN ITS MESSAGE, SURELY THERE ARE THOSE WHO WOULD RECEIVE SUCH A PRINT WITH JOY!
Thank you for reading, and for your prayers! Have a wonderful week…it is going to be another long and full one here!
