Help Mel Afford Therapy

Who are you?

Hello! My name is Mel, and I am a Filipina artist and writer, currently a full-time graduate student taking up an MA in Creative Writing.

What do you do?

I draw, paint, do graphic design, and all sorts of artsy related experiments. I also like to write. I've been a graphic designer and art director for advertising companies and, recently, I was an art teacher for kids, teens, and adults alike for the summer.

You can check out my official site. I also have a deviantART and an art blog on tumblr that update with works in progress. I like to paint and carve my own notebooks from scratch, too.

Some of my current projects include:

• Kasiyahan, my self-improvement, self-acceptance, and gratitude blog
• It's a Mellama!, a journal comic, mostly about struggling with my issues
• Doodle a Day, a challenge I started with my friend Mika to draw at least once per day)

In the past, I've also moderated and volunteered as an artist for Super Charity GO!, an online art-for-charity fundraising event I co-founded with my friends Eren and Mattie. To date, we have raised almost $2000 for various charities with the help of volunteer artists and, of course, our generous donors.

So what happened?

Early last year, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety (which has been with me pretty much my whole life), and was able to go to therapy for a few weeks until I lost my job not long after. Howerever, the short time I was able to afford it, it was a huge help to me, and it saved me from doing anything drastic to myself.

I have since been doing all I can to save as much money as possible so I could continue my therapy, as it helps me so much in coping with how difficult my circumstances can be sometimes. During the time I could afford therapy and medication, they helped me calm down and be able to focus on the projects I wished to create, as well as be at my full creative potential so I could take on art commissions efficiently. It also helped me be in a good enough state of mind so that I could take necessary steps to take care of myself.

Unfortunately, I still have many unresolved issues that I honestly need help with in order for me to heal. While I have been able to get by well enough with the support of my family and friends, it is becoming a little more difficult to cope with these conditions the more time passes. Besides depression and anxiety, I worry that I may also have possible ADHD, possible bipolar disorder, and possible PTSD.

What do you need help with?

Well, the therapy costs a fair lot... I still have not been able to save up enough funds to afford the therapy sessions, anti-anxiety medication (if deemed necessary), and commuting costs to and from the clinic.

What's the goal of this fundraiser?

My goal is to be able to save for at least one year's worth of therapy, in case I need to go for a longer period of time, considering the factors mentioned above. The funds I earn from this will also act as a cushion to help me continue save for future therapy sessions while allowing me to start going to therapy at the same time. Rest assured, I will not use the money raised from this fundraiser for anything other than my therapy.

UPDATE July 14, 2013: REWARDS

My wonderful and generous friend, Eren, has offered to do art commissions in exchange for donations to this fundraiser! :') You may check out the different rewards you could get below, and I've included a few samples here (click to full view). If you'd like to claim one, just take a screencapture of your donation receipt with the reward selected and e-mail it to [email protected].

Sketches

  

Quick Color

  

Shaded

 

Can I help you in any other ways?

If you prefer to contribute directly through a different payment method other than through this page, let me know and we'll work something out.

Should you prefer to receive something in return, I offer art commissions as well.

My friends and I also offer a few products for sale; at the bottom of this post is a list of our online shops, with hopefully more products to come (we're working on new things so we can restock our Etsy soon.) For Redbuddle and Skreened, in particular, we get a small percentage if you buy anything from there. Any little bit helps not just me but my friends as well.

Thank you so much for your time and your kindness. Even just giving this a signal boost, sharing the link with others, and spreading the word with friends would help me out a great deal.

Lots of love,

Mel <3