A Punch to the Gut

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm currently living in a situation where someone else is paying the rent and bills.  That sounds awesome and makes me sound lazy.  In fact, I'm working my butt off to get this little business up and running.  But I'm still tied to this living situation.  Yesterday, like so many times before, I was told that, due to an unforseen problem, we basically have no food money for the next three weeks.  We also don't have money to pay my medical insurance, and a few other things.

I started my little art business with no money.  OK, I probably had a buck in change, but for all intents and purposes, I started with nothing.  No phone.  My computer died right after I started, and all that.  But the biggest thing going against me was that I had no place to borrow money to get started.  I was unemployed, and for a variety of reasons, haven't been able to find a job here.  To make a go of my little business, I had to put virtually all the money I brought in back into the business, to build up a reasonable amount of start-up capital.  But because I live in a house where the head of household simply refuses to live within their budget, I get nickel and dimed all month for the little bit I do make.  It's one financial crisis after another, most of them self-caused.  As a result, my little art/writing business is on financial life support.

So why don't I leave?  Because if I leave, then I'm starting a business while on the streets.  That's pretty damn hard as well.  I'm in a frying pan versus fire scenario, either option is really hard.  But I've committed to creating my own business and I just have to keep plugging along, day by day.  But it is sooooooo fucking frustrating to have people really stoked on my artwork and not be able to afford to make prints of drawings or other things I can sell.  This is when my background in BMX freestyle and skateboarding come into play.  I make a mistake or fall.  And I get up and keep working.  Quitting doesn't enter the picture.

This blog seemed like a good idea at the time, but it wasn't.  Check out my newest stuff  at Get Weird Make Money.