Meg (Starving Artist)

Greetings Friends! Grab a chair and let me tell you the story of my life, or at least the last several years of it.
In November 2003, my Mom got married to a guy from Guatemala. I didn't get along with him, so I chose to live with my Grandparents since I had not yet graduated high school and couldn't afford to live on my own. They took care of me the best they could while I got my high school diploma and took a course in photography.
It turns out my instincts were correct about my Mom's husband. He turned out to be a wife-beater and an alcoholic He told her that if she ever left him, he'd kill her. I was scared for her, but she begged me not to call the police, for fear that he would come after her.
In June 2005 my Mom's husband got arrested. It turns out out he was an illegal alien, so he was deported, leaving my Mom alone to take care of their 6 month old baby daughter.
She got fired from her job just because she was married to an illegal. (Yes, it's true). She had no one to turn to. My Grandparents couldn't afford to help her out, so I was her only option. I had excellent credit back then, so I helped my mom by paying her bills, buying her groceries, baby needs, etc.
My Mom worked at Burger King from August 2005 to February 2007. Then she worked at Subway and Bob Evans until March 2008, when she got a job as an in-home care provider. Then she got walking Pneumonia and lost that job, so right now she's unemployed.
If you live in Michigan, you know how terrible the economy is. It's even worse than the rest of the country. You have to take what you can get, and try to survive.
I am currently working 50 hours a week as a state-funded child care provider. Needless to say, I barely make enough money to live on. The state keeps making budget cuts and taking even more money out of my paycheck. I'm also trying to make a career as a photographer, but it's not easy to be an artist these days.
I don't know how much longer my Mom will be able to hold down her job because she has chronic pain caused by several reasons including Scoliosis and Fibromyalgia. She needs neck surgery, but is unable to get it because her insurance doesn't cover it and she can't afford to take the time off to recover.
We have over $25k in debts and our monthly income barely exceeds $700 since my mom lost her job.
Here is a preview of my photography:
Create Your Own
I charge the following for my photos:
$2 for 4x6
$5 for 5 x 7
$10 for 8 x 10
$20 for 11 x 14
$30 for 12 x 18*
$40 for 16 x 20*
$50 for 20 x 30*
*Some photos not available in this size.
Shipping & Handling is included.
If you like to see more of my work, please contact me!