A serious ask.

Hey everyone. I’m sorry to be switching gears so drastically, but I have a pretty serious ask.

I injured my neck again, from carrying heavy groceries and luggage in the last few weeks. This means carlessness has become an outright health issue for me now. I’m having pain, paraesthesia, weakness, the works—like I was experiencing in Huê. Given that my Dad was effectively paralyzed by cervical stenosis, and that I don’t have a partner to take care of me if something like that happens, it’s something I’m very nervous about.

I’ve been trying to buy a car since I came to Ireland; because I’m not eligible for an auto loan as a student, my only option is to buy one in cash. I’d continue saving what I can, waiting for Ordinary Time to sell and working on December 32nd, but…given this injury, I’m not sure I can wait much longer.

At this point, I have about $8500 saved for a used car, hopefully an EV. (Even though a petrol car is cheaper, I feel an EV is a much safer investment—because of war in the Gulf, petrol instability in general, and Ireland being a vulnerable island economy.) I’m aiming to raise $15,000 altogether, which would cover a home charger and the cheapest EV I can find (see here or here for an example of what I’m looking at). That means raising $6500. If I can raise that, great; if I can’t, I’ll get the best used petrol car I can find, and trade it in when I have enough for an EV.

Either way, a car would save me from continually re-injuring my neck. But it also means I could travel to Galway for acupuncture...travel to paying petsitting gigs in the fall...and just travel to other places in the country, without relying on sparse public transportation. To put it bluntly, a car was already the difference in whether I’m able to build a life here, but now it’s also a necessary mobility aid.

So, to raise money, I have three ideas:

(1) Can I do any work for you or your organization, which could be paid in advance and completed in the fall/winter? Consultation, copywriting, copyediting, developmental editing, an online creative workshop….? If so, please get in touch at monica@monicabyrne.org.

(2) Would you like an original custom art commission, paid in advance and delivered in the coming fall or winter? Illuminated names, wedding invitations, baby shower gifts, anniversary presents, you name it....? If so, please get in touch at monica@monicabyrne.org. (Here is a gallery of my artwork, and below is a wee sample of past commissions, which I make with fine Copic markers, now returned from across the Atlantic!):

(3) Would you like to buy my vintage merch on a sliding scale donation basis? Signed books, Art Is Work shirts, polar bear notecards? If so, just fill out this form! Here’s a sample of what’s on offer:

Okay, that’s all I got. Thank you for reading, and thank you for considering. And though I don’t expect it, if you do just want to make a straight donation, I’d welcome that too (and would find ways to thank you in the coming years). Here’s my Venmo, CashApp, PayPal, and Fractured Atlas (which is tax-deductible!).

Much love and more soon,

Monica