A lot's happened.

I inexplicably got kicked out of beauty school for reasons I genuinely am not privy to. They were unprofessional, they did it with zero warning, and only informed me that I was no longer a student when it was far, far too late. They gave me no options for re-enrolling. They took my money, they gave me the most unstructured and upsettingly bare education I've ever seen, and then kicked me to the curb literally just before I graduated. They acted like I was the problem, when in fact they did not indicate any such issue prior, and in fact I was excelling in school. I didn't have any antagonistic relationship with my instructors, or the staff, or anything like that - some I didn't get along with, but I still took the lessons on the occasions where they actually gave them to us. There was no rhyme or reason I could find for my expulsion. Nothing.

And I'm not afraid to name them. Stacey James Institute in Colorado. Run by two shady mormons and constantly replacing teachers with a turnover rate so high that any teacher you see will never last longer than one year, all while said teachers are verbally abused just about as much as the students.

This has, unfortunately, basically taken a torpedo to my life. The plan was to get my cosmetology license, and apply to one of the many, many hair dressers within walking distance of my apartment. Then I wouldn't have to have my partner be the sole breadwinner. But that's...not in the cards, obviously. Not anymore. I'm tired, man.

I keep trying to apply to other jobs. Whatever job I can find. Any job. Anywhere. Nothing. I've been strung along by a few pet grooming places that allow me to use the knowledge I gained. I've been chasing ghost jobs on ziprecruiter. I've been going in-person to whatever location I can find that's got job openings and offering resumes with as much effort and polish put into them as I physically can, but I haven't gotten anywhere.

My partner's suffering. Rent is getting harder to maintain. I need a job and I'm running out of options. I refuse to go back to my parents' house - I just escaped from a place that left me so depressed I barely ever left my bedroom, I don't want to go back.

This whole mess is why I've been absent for months. Why my posting ground to a screeching halt. Why my most recent submissions have been old sketchbook drawings gathering dust or abstract pieces to express how I'm feeling.

I'm doing everything I can here, but if you guys could maybe ask for some art commissions or buy an adoptable, that would be pretty great. The job hunt continues. I'll update if I actually manage to land a job. Until then, the exhaustion from job hunting as a whole is killing me.

I struggle to ask for help. I struggle even more with the "social" part of social media. I'm scared to go outside sometimes. I usually keep to myself with my personal life, and I am too stubborn to outright ask for donations because I don't like the idea of just taking money from people without some kind of fair transaction. I only ask that if you guys DO have disposable income, maybe consider asking me for a commission or inquiring about an adoptable. And key word here is disposable, mind you - I would hate if my own financial troubles simply got pushed off onto someone else.


I don't know how to end this post, so I guess like...bye? Hopefully see you soon? I don't know, it's 4AM and I'm miserable, I'm going back to bed.