For many years, I did not have a website or public presence, because I was much more focused on applying these things in communities of practice, and with people on the ground facing difficult situations. My work has been almost entirely word-of-mouth, from 2013 until this website was created in 2021. The work was almost entirely financially and materially supported by people who wanted to support the work, regardless of whether those people specifically received anything from me. All of this made it possible for me to offer my work as a gift to those who did not have the means to support me financially or materially. Also, while I have years of training and experience, I have no college degrees, and no structural support from something like a non-profit. My work is community supported, and my learning has been mostly organic within communities and with mentorship.

It was possible for me to do all of this learning and practice through word-of-mouth for so long because I worked side jobs in kitchens, as a musician, and as a bike messenger. When I didn't have side jobs, my expenses were generally extremely low by US standards. I am no longer able to have side jobs while keeping the work sustainable for me emotionally or physically, and my housing expenses have increased significantly since then.

Coming from a working-class background, it's pretty vulnerable for me to ask for what I need. Too often, I can slip into the self-destructive norm of acting strong enough to suffer through it. I do love the resiliency that I learned from my class background. But if strength becomes a show to avoid revealing difficulty, then it isn't real resilience. It is a cultural norm that only serves to convince working people to absorb suffering in order to make a profit for others.

If it were possible I would want all of my work to be completely based on people freely giving to support me and others freely receiving from me without having to give anything. By giving to me here, I can move toward offering more and more of my work based on where it is needed rather than based on who can pay.

Thank you.