A Request for Support
If you received a link to this page, you have been an important connection as I have evolved Memoirtistry over the years. Whether you are a frequent friend or ongoing acquaintance, time has a way of returning us to one other.
As you know, Memoirtistry was born from a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in 2020. Covid triggered the symptoms when I was forced to move out of my apartment and into my parent’s home. Through memoir and artistry, I have found relief in the arduous and painful practice of healing.
Memoirtistry was first a podcast, and continues to evolve; it is now a boutique of Independent Editing & Ghostwriting services, Writing Workshops, and Art Journalism.
Receiving a formal diagnosis has aided me in self-discovery. I am learning how to change my thoughts and manage my feelings so I can move out of survival mode and thrive. It can be difficult when the systems in place do not consider mental health a priority and having a disability is looked down on. The trauma I experienced is Complex—it stems from repeated and prolonged spiritual/religious abuse in my childhood that I could not escape but learned to survive. The only reason my formal diagnosis does not include the “C” is because CPTSD is not listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders yet. CPTSD presents similarly to Borderline Personality Disorder, or BPD, and I am seeking diagnosis. Reducing the shame and battling the symptoms that tell me I’m worthless is constant—everything about my present life is a direct rebellion of who I was raised to be. I am not defined by what has happened to me, but I have been affected, and reversing the effects of trauma by rewriting the stories told of me and those I tell myself, requires focus and discipline that Memoirtistry encourages me in.
Memoirtistry is life-saving.
However, I am struggling to provide for myself, and finding a job where I can use my skills without a degree and receive a decent living wage is beginning to feel impossible. My 27 years of work experience rewards me with entry-level positions which are generally repetitive in nature and I get bored. In these positions, my naturally developed skillset is noted but goes unused because I am limited by the role. Since choosing to leave the corporate world in 2019, and not being granted re-entry when I’ve applied, I’ve taken roles as a Gas Station Attendant, a Housekeeper at a Hotel and Theme Park, a Barista at a Drive-Thru stand, a Church Administrator out of pure desperation, and a Museum Gallery Attendant promoted to a Membership Administrator. Each of these positions ended abruptly and very stressfully, adding to my already exacerbated symptoms. I don’t know if I was fired from or quit the museum, but I don’t work there anymore. Becoming aware of my disability highlights where I struggle to connect in the systems and expectations of modern society where whether or not you succeed in “career” defines us. I even drove solely for DoorDash in 2022 to avoid engaging with the drama and dysfunctional behavior of coworkers, but the truth is, I work best on a team where my voice and what I have to offer is valued. I miss the camaraderie I once felt in work environments. Currently, I am a fill-in Bartender to pay my monthly bills, but this job and the other roles do not fulfill me the way Memoirtistry does.
Memoirtistry is my “artist’s way”; using Art as Therapy, I focus on writing Memoir and Poetry, Intuitive Painting, Digital Expressions and Singing whenever I have the opportunity. I am blending my personal and professional lives and I have many offerings available to support others who are seeking to heal creatively—rewriting the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and “what’s wrong with us” in an effort to reclaim the self.
I am a Certified Editor with the University of WA, Seattle. I am a Freelance Ghostwriter and Self-published Author of two memoirs with a third in the making. I am also a trained and locally published Art Journalist in Pittsburgh, PA.
Words are my specialty. Expressing myself, too. As is being relatable.
Let me now get to the point.
I am asking for financial support.
There are many ways you can support the work I am doing through Memoirtistry. I am seeking clients who are ready to invest in their selves the way I’ve invested in uncovering my selves. I want to give what I have to give, because it’s all I have to share. I enjoy sharing freely, and… I have to make a living. I’d like that living to be more of Memoirtistry, not less.
Ways to Support Memoirtistry
Buy copies of my books for yourself and as gifts for the upcoming holidays! I Was a Good Wife: A Self-Portrait and I Left a Stranger: A Coming Out & Into Estrangement are both available on Amazon.
Hire me as a Ghostwriter or Editor, or Gift a Memoir Package to a friend! I have three Memoir Packages to choose from or we can develop our own book project together.
Hire me as a Writing Coach! I teach virtual and in-person Creative Storytelling workshops for the individual or small groups. If you want to develop your writing, I can help!
Are you an artist wishing someone would take the time to reflect on your work? Hire me to write an Art Commentary!
Subscribe to Read My Diary to see my writing and editing process in raw form. You’ll get a front row seat to my third book, I’m Not Wearing Any Pants: Undressing a Diagnosis.
Purchase a piece of artwork or commission me for one. I paint abstract feelings and draw one-line portraits, often with words and personal affirmations I am inspired by.
Subscribe and listen to the Memoirtistry podcast on Spotify and other platforms.
Patrons of the arts have always been the way artists survive. If you do not require any of my services and do not wish to subscribe to my diary or podcast, you can donate via CashApp, PayPal, and Venmo.
Where the Money Goes
Application Fees
I am actively applying to Writer & Artist Residencies and querying Literary Agents as I focus 2025 on writing my third book, I’m Not Wearing Any Pants: Undressing a Diagnosis. I could use assistance with the fees required, which are anywhere from $20 to $80 per application.
CPS Training
I have been accepted into the Certified Peer Support Specialist program in PA. I will have to travel and incur the cost of gas and lodging for the training. The program itself is $1,400 and the estimated cost for travel is an additional $700. This certification will allow me a new career track to begin as I seek to pair Memoirtistry’s work with the Mental Health field.
Therapy
I would like to re-establish a relationship locally and explore whether or not I suffer BPD in tandem with PTSD. The three voices regularly appearing in my work have led me this curiosity. $100-$200/month
Car Repair
My car is in need of maintenance. $2,500
Thank You for Your Support!
It isn’t easy to believe in myself some days, and it has been a challenge to learn how to ask very specifically for this kind of help.