Welp Crafties, here I am with an update, a favor to ask, and a plea. So please do read to the end because this is one of those things that could affect whether or not I continue to make content.
There's been a great bit of silence surrounding this dental ordeal, mostly because there's been a frustrating amount of nothing to say. For those of you who've been around during the last several months, you may recall that in late September, I had a nasty fall that caused me to chip and fracture my front tooth. We shall call him tooth 8, which is the very front, right hand tooth.
I took some months off, believing that I could get this issue resolved by the end of 2022. I was in a place where I had no insurance (can't afford it) and apparently no hope. There has been no shortage of frustrated tears behind this because I've just been wanting to get my life back. I was bounced around 5 different dentists before landing at the dental school. And what happened there?
Instead of being able to root canal this thing and place a crown over top, I was told that I'd actually managed to shatter up the shaft of the tooth and they did not think it was viable. Obviously, after a month of chaos, this was not what I wanted to hear. In the meanwhile, I was thankfully able to qualify for state aid to take care of other issues I was having with my teeth. The only thing is, this insurance doesn't cover implant procedures. Which is definitely what I need so that I can go back to chewing food properly and getting my speech back.
After a while, I felt horribly guilty about not being able to show up for my business, though I had good reason. And because I've had to alter how I set my jaw when I speak anyhow, I went on to start recording again in the meanwhile. The show must go on as they say.
I've now had 9 or 10 dental appointments since September and I am exhausted. I've been trying to juggle this drama with continuing my college classes, working, and trying to do the things I want to do for Infiniti Crafting Co. so that it can continue to grow. Then, to put a cherry on this nasty cake, a deer randomly appeared in a busy city street one night and now the family car is busted up. We lost the fender and the grill of the car, along with bending up the hood.
Before I go on here, I want to say that I am grateful to God that we didn't wreck or total in this freak occurrence because it could have been so much worse than that.
I'm not going to lie here and say that all of this doesn't feel hopeless right now. I was narrowly able to cover this years' costs for maintaining the website and I sure as heck don't know how I'm going to afford the nearly $5,000 to fix my face or who knows what the car repairs are going to cost.
I've already set my heart on forming this business of mine but, I can't say that giving it up and shutting it down hasn't crossed my mind several times over the last year. It would be devastating to do so given that I've been putting in well over 80 hours a week for the last few years to try and make it work. And I don't know what I've done wrong to not be able to confidently afford to keep it going on its own by this point.
All that it to say...
More than anything right now, I want to get back to a healthier me. To be able to do these consultations and whatever procedures, not just for the sake of doing my YouTube videos but so I can get back to eating solid foods and articulate like I used to. That's probably what hits the hardest, just noting the changes in my speech and being terrified that the slightest wrong move will have me out here with a completely exposed nerve and a hole in the front of my mouth.
So, I'd like to ask of my community to share my patterns, makes, or merch store. Please help me to reach more eyes so that I can have a little piece of hope with getting through this and so I can give my all back to my community. I feel the need to work for everything and I try to do that through my shop offerings and by providing value through my tutorials.
I hate to write these types of posts because I feel like I'm hopelessly whining into the void. And I don't want to feel like I'm giving out ultimatums but, I also look at how I fell so far past the poverty line in 2021 and it feels insane to justify continually operating in the red. I just don't have a lot of options here and I would kindly ask for the support of my community during this time.
If you want to follow along with this circus, you can read the previous blogs on this topic in order:
If you want to support me and therefore, the content, here's a few things you could do to help 💖
Share this post - The more eyes that see my content, the better.
Consider buying me a coffee - I don't share this donation page often but, it's there if you can spare the change.
Buy a pattern - I'm currently cycling through old designs both updating the instructions and recording tutorials for them. If you enjoy the way I teach for free, you'll love the step-by-step instruction I provide in my paid designs. The best place to do this is right here on my website!
Buy a handmade item - Whether its my art or my accessories, you can give these pieces a new home today while supporting the creator you love (hopefully me. 😅)
Buy something from the merch shop - I recently started revitalizing the merch shop and I now publish fiber art related graphic tees, hoodies, and more!
Thank you all so much in advance! As always, if you cannot afford to make a purchase with me, it always helps when you share theses posts or my videos on social media.
Til next time,
Happy Making!
