Hi everyone,
I’m friends with at least one Ganoksin member who, understanding my
situation a little better than most, suggested that I make a broad
appeal on this group for assistance.
I’m a beginning silversmith and lapidary who, as a result of an
inherited serious mental illness, is unemployable and therefore
drawing SSDI.
I support my wife, my child, and myself on this income and so my
ability to spend money retraining in a field where I can be capable
of eventual self-employment is extremely limited. I can spend perhaps
$100 per month on tools, equipment, and consumables… this doesn’t
go very far. Workshops and travel for them is of course out of the
question, so I rely on books and Ganoksin for my training.
After two years of self-training, I feel like I’m stuck in space
with a broken warp drive. I’ve got a functioning impulse drive and
I’m not afraid to use it, I’m pushing what I’ve got to relativistic
speeds, so I’ll do what I can to make it by myself if I must.
But at this point I’d like to make my appeal to a higher power… the
good will of the people of this news group whom I’ve gotten to know
over the last couple years.
So I’m on my knees asking for a Christmas miracle…
If you have worn out tools or hammers, broken equipment or appliances
or gadgets or flexshafts or accessories of any type, previously
viewed training DVDs or books, or anything you just want to get out
of your studio but can’t sell or bear to throw away, please consider
sending it to me.
If you can provide the junk, I can do my best to repair it, adapt it
or reuse it. Please contact me offline for mailing address if you
wish to contribute.
Beyond this: I also know there are some very high level people out
there reading my message.
I know I need bench jewelry and lapidary training very badly. I would
so much appreciate the gift of permission to attend workshops for
free, air miles to attend them, and a place to sleep on the floor. I
can pay for my food, I’ll even cook for you in the same way I cook
for my own family.
I’m not asking for money… even though I know that time is money so
I realise I’m still asking for a lot.
You’ll find me to be a quick study from a technical point of view
based on my previous life as an engineer, and I’m open to learning
more of what it takes to become an artist. I’ll go anywhere in the
world if necessary to learn.
All I’m asking for is a decent chance to become once again a
completely productive member of humanity. Most people would be happy
to continue collective benefits in my position but for my mind and
creativity it is a worse sentence than prison.
I’d love to be an engineer again but I know that is simply
impossible. The next thing I really want to be is a jeweler.
Thank you all,
Andrew Jonathan Fine.