Help Katie Leave North Carolina
Donation protected
Hi there! I'm Katie, a video editor currently stuck in Winston Salem, NC. I was recently laid off from my editing job at an advertising agency after about 4 years there. I've never been through this before, and many of my carefully but quickly laid out plans have met with failure or mystery. I can finally break down and admit, I need help.
I've been editing over 7 years between freelance and the advertising agency. I moved from Indianapolis, IN to Winston Salem, NC for that job. I LOVE what I do, and I love post production so much. I was recently let go on a random Tuesday a mere few weeks ago, through no fault of my own. Just fit the budget with a group of others.
I immediately set forth to revamp resume and my reel (they needed a good dusting after a few years), applying frequently to jobs on the west coast, a few around NC state just in case. I also cut a new personal project and worked on a freelance gig even to keep up habits. It's all not enough, not happening quick enough. As expected, job responses are slow and most in our industry need you right away, all of a sudden to boot. I had to start considering work that wouldn't even involve editing to make ends meet, and that made me incredibly sad and in despair.
Why LA? I have an incredible network of friends there. I've been there once, at least. Also, should I ever have the bad luck to be laid off, I'm in an area full of post production work. I've been given excellent advice this can really set me up to be quite employable in the foreseeable future - never getting stuck in this situation, again.
This is my life ambition down to the core. I discovered my love for story telling and video editing while in college, and I have never once turned back. Not when classmates dropped every new class. Not when I was a fresh freelancer not knowing where my next pay would come from. Not when I had no mentor and felt lost. Not when I had to navigate each new projects in new programs and far well beyond into my years forward with all the experiences - both good and bad - I have stuck with it with an unwavering passion.
I'm trying to get to the west coast, somewhere near LA possibly, with every fiber of my being. I need help with the moving costs to do it, so the funds cover getting uhaul box pods (or truck/tow) and the gas to get car and kitties over with me, as well as storage for the items I may/may not be able to get to right away, and surviving there the first month with help on the apartment fees while I get work going. I have a guestimated breakdown sheet I tried to locate with best estimated prices on, so I'm happy to share or get advice on that, too.
I hope you'll take a quick peek at my video, despite it being shot haphazardly on my iPhone late last night while I still had the courage to do it. Pardon my half freelancer life/midway packing up sort of background of a mess. I didn't have enough time to do all this up proper.
My lease ends really soon, and I have a few loose ideas to float by for a bit but the more I thought on it, the more I realized that it was make or break time for me. I've never had to ask for this kind of help, and I've been working since I was 15. I'm now freshly 36 (believe it or not). I'm a hard worker, those who know me or my work know I go beast mode and focus on my edits. The east coast has some scattered around post jobs, but for how long would I make it, if I can even? Freelance here has been completely remote work for me. I need to be where the work is, if I'm going to survive this through and keep doing what I love. The time is now.
For anyone curious, last year for me was truly terrible. Impossible as it was, my mom getting diagnosed with stage 4 uterine cancer and passing away suddenly on Easter was unimaginably horrific. This involved several trips to Indiana (my home town of Indianapolis) and I was grateful to be able to do so. I later lost my beloved Snarfie cat to a blood clot after an expensive surgery. My savings are drained. I'm feeling utterly tapped out emotionally and mentally, and right before my birthday weekend, I got laid off.
It's been very difficult road for me as of late. I don't have a big family, both my parents have passed, in fact it's just my twin sis and brother left. Despite this, I've somehow held it together and continued forward the best way I know how - determined and persistent. Maybe with a bit of my mom's spitfire spirit with me.
I humbly ask for your support, even if a $1 or to share this. I'm sorry it's come to this. I take a huge risk putting myself out here, this isn't easy to be vulnerable. It took some words from people who inspired me to even do this. I would not have, otherwise. I completely understand if you're unable to help or don't find me to be worthy. I am nobody special, just someone with a fiery passion for video editing who can't give up.
It's the time or thought that's appreciated, all the same. Thank you for watching my video and considering giving me a chance at a better life.
You can see more about me, my work, my reel and anything else at my website : www.katietoomey.com
I've been editing over 7 years between freelance and the advertising agency. I moved from Indianapolis, IN to Winston Salem, NC for that job. I LOVE what I do, and I love post production so much. I was recently let go on a random Tuesday a mere few weeks ago, through no fault of my own. Just fit the budget with a group of others.
I immediately set forth to revamp resume and my reel (they needed a good dusting after a few years), applying frequently to jobs on the west coast, a few around NC state just in case. I also cut a new personal project and worked on a freelance gig even to keep up habits. It's all not enough, not happening quick enough. As expected, job responses are slow and most in our industry need you right away, all of a sudden to boot. I had to start considering work that wouldn't even involve editing to make ends meet, and that made me incredibly sad and in despair.
Why LA? I have an incredible network of friends there. I've been there once, at least. Also, should I ever have the bad luck to be laid off, I'm in an area full of post production work. I've been given excellent advice this can really set me up to be quite employable in the foreseeable future - never getting stuck in this situation, again.
This is my life ambition down to the core. I discovered my love for story telling and video editing while in college, and I have never once turned back. Not when classmates dropped every new class. Not when I was a fresh freelancer not knowing where my next pay would come from. Not when I had no mentor and felt lost. Not when I had to navigate each new projects in new programs and far well beyond into my years forward with all the experiences - both good and bad - I have stuck with it with an unwavering passion.
I'm trying to get to the west coast, somewhere near LA possibly, with every fiber of my being. I need help with the moving costs to do it, so the funds cover getting uhaul box pods (or truck/tow) and the gas to get car and kitties over with me, as well as storage for the items I may/may not be able to get to right away, and surviving there the first month with help on the apartment fees while I get work going. I have a guestimated breakdown sheet I tried to locate with best estimated prices on, so I'm happy to share or get advice on that, too.
I hope you'll take a quick peek at my video, despite it being shot haphazardly on my iPhone late last night while I still had the courage to do it. Pardon my half freelancer life/midway packing up sort of background of a mess. I didn't have enough time to do all this up proper.
My lease ends really soon, and I have a few loose ideas to float by for a bit but the more I thought on it, the more I realized that it was make or break time for me. I've never had to ask for this kind of help, and I've been working since I was 15. I'm now freshly 36 (believe it or not). I'm a hard worker, those who know me or my work know I go beast mode and focus on my edits. The east coast has some scattered around post jobs, but for how long would I make it, if I can even? Freelance here has been completely remote work for me. I need to be where the work is, if I'm going to survive this through and keep doing what I love. The time is now.
For anyone curious, last year for me was truly terrible. Impossible as it was, my mom getting diagnosed with stage 4 uterine cancer and passing away suddenly on Easter was unimaginably horrific. This involved several trips to Indiana (my home town of Indianapolis) and I was grateful to be able to do so. I later lost my beloved Snarfie cat to a blood clot after an expensive surgery. My savings are drained. I'm feeling utterly tapped out emotionally and mentally, and right before my birthday weekend, I got laid off.
It's been very difficult road for me as of late. I don't have a big family, both my parents have passed, in fact it's just my twin sis and brother left. Despite this, I've somehow held it together and continued forward the best way I know how - determined and persistent. Maybe with a bit of my mom's spitfire spirit with me.
I humbly ask for your support, even if a $1 or to share this. I'm sorry it's come to this. I take a huge risk putting myself out here, this isn't easy to be vulnerable. It took some words from people who inspired me to even do this. I would not have, otherwise. I completely understand if you're unable to help or don't find me to be worthy. I am nobody special, just someone with a fiery passion for video editing who can't give up.
It's the time or thought that's appreciated, all the same. Thank you for watching my video and considering giving me a chance at a better life.
You can see more about me, my work, my reel and anything else at my website : www.katietoomey.com
Organizer
Katie Toomey
Organizer
Winston-Salem, NC