Is it just me or has 2021 flown by? Doesn’t it seem like only yesterday we were all very thankful to see 11:59 PM on December 31, 2020? With the vaccine for COVID-19 having received emergency FDA authorization in December 2020, there was hope that 2021 would be more tolerable. Before I knew it, both Memorial Day and Independence Day had come and gone. And quickly thereafter, Labor Day and then Halloween. So how does this all related to generosity? I honestly have no idea. Either way, please stick with me and be sure to comment and share.
A Lost Dream
It was sometime in August when I gave up on my dream; a dream of running a website devoid of political nonsense, a less divisive social media website. As I opined on a few weeks ago, my social media presence for many years had been mostly political in nature. I had hoped that my online forum would become a place where other like-minded people could gather without fear of being bombarded with political nonsense and offensive ads. In addition to the social media website, I also had a few online stores trying to sell some of my artwork. The sales were few and far between which further exasperated my depressive state. In other words, both of these ventures had worsened by mental state.
Ready to Quit
I was almost ready to quit everything when I stumbled upon Printify, a service that partners with several “Print on Demand” (POD) providers. Printify handles all of the leg work allowing creators like myself to create. In essence, I draw the designs, upload them to Printify, and place them onto one of the hundreds of products they offer. Products such as t-shirts, hoodies, coffee mugs, and wall art. I set out on a new adventure, a new dream. I wanted to offer these products to others at the lowest price possible with a large portion of the proceeds going to charity. As I have also written about previously, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention charity is the one I had chosen to support. They help people like me who also battle depression to find ways to cope with this debilitating disease.
So Where to Next?
With Printify as the engine to produce my designs and digital art pieces onto products, I needed a vehicle to sell those products. Since Printify is a service offering access to POD providers, I needed somewhere to list the products for sale. That is when Etsy entered into the picture and boy has this changed things.
Since opening my Etsy store, I have had 72 sales going to 61 unique buyers. In just four and half months, the revenue generated from those sales was just over $1400. And with a profit of approximately $550 (after expenses), I am happy to report that $500 was donated to AFSP.
If you were one of those 61 buyers, I wish to thank you for your generosity. Your generosity may have saved a life this year. I plan to continue this venture into 2022 and we will see where the Lord continues to lead.
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If you made it this far, please consider commenting below, subscribing, and also sharing on your social media sites. Most importantly, I ask for your prayers. I write this weekly blog as an outlet in my fight against depression. However, my hope is that something I write here may help others who may be struggling. If you would like to help with my battle against depression, check out my online Etsy store and affiliate links. Most proceeds are donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
If you or someone you know may be contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or by dialing 988. You may also text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line. In emergencies, call 911, or seek care from a local hospital or mental health provider.