Help Molly Rebuild Health & Home, get Unique Art

Aim: Raising money through my own art to enable me to build a safe home to enable the stabilisation of my mental health, and subsequent safety.

Hi, my name is Molly and I am hoping to raise money in exchange for pieces of my art, in order to move from a currently uninhabitable 'home' to one that is both physically and mentally safe, enabling me to win back my hard fought for mental health, as well as recover and stabilise enough that I can fulfill my dream of fully giving back to the community by starting my training to be a nurse in September 2022.

My mental health has been atrocious for over half my life, impacting my wellbeing, destroying my self esteem, and leading to a very large physical risk to myself. In July 2021, I was discharged from 3 years in a psychiatric hospital 100 miles from home. This admission was necessary in order to keep me safe, and gave me the opportunity to commit to a full-time therapy programme 5 days per week. After 3 years of harder work than I can even begin to explain, I was ready to start my life anew, finally having the chance to live independently and build myself a life of health, meaning and worth - the central element of this was creating a safe and comforting home environment. The council housed me, fully aware of my illnesses and vulnerabilites (and their obligations under the Disability Act), in what seemed a really lovely flat. I began my transition back to the real world and immediately decided that I wanted to give back through volunteer work supporting others who struggle with their mental health: I have been doing this 6 days a week. Unfortunately, within a month of my discharge from hospital, very serious mould growth was colonising all of my wooden/material furniture. Some examples of this can be seen here (please bear in mind that this was the hot and dry month of August, a month in which humidity is low and damp/mould tends to be much less of a problem):

As you can see, the mould growth is significant, posing a serious risk to health and causing irreperable damage to furniture, carpets and possessions that had been carefully gathered and stored over the previous 12 months. This was devastating. It was reported to the council, who failed to do an in-depth survey and works that solved the problem, leaving me in the position of humidity being at 75-85% (much higher than the recommended 40%), unable to do basic daily tasks such as laundry in my home as this boosted the humidity even higher and resulted in clothes that never dried. Now, 6 months after being reported, having had to get a pro bono lawyer who instructed an independent surveyor, proving that the property has serious inherent damp problems to the highest extreme and creating an uninhabitable home environment, I (alongside my mental health team, local MP, and family) am still fighting to even get basic investigations done by the council. The constant stressful, unsafe and distressing state of what was meant to be my home has led to an enormous destabilisation of my mental health, deteriorating to the point of near-death through suicide as I just could not gather the strength needed to keep going knowing the fights that still lie ahead of me, the constant triggering of trauma memories and distress, and the battle ahead to rebuild my mental health. Having fought so hard for so many years, I have felt at many times through this that I could fight no more. Knowing the financial strain that lies ahead is a massive contributing factor to my distress and hopelessness: it seems like moving to another property is the most appropriate solution considering the substantial building works that must take place, but doing this involves money that I just do not have. Having had everything I own become mouldy, taking hold deep inside the products, I have had to get rid of much of it already and other vital things (such as my bed) I am having to use mouldy until I can get out of the property.

This is where you come in! It is my hope that I can raise money through the sale of my art, and any donations that anyone would be kind enough to make, to be able to afford the necessities of packing materials, a moving van, carpets and a bed. To know that I had money for this would remove a massive strain, making it possible for me to feel safe in the knowledge that I can afford to move when the opporunity arises, enabling me to build a new safe haven that would allow me to shift my focus back on to my dwindling mental health, minimise the risk to self that has grown as a result of these problems, and help me try to recover and stabilist sufficiently that I can fulfil my dream of giving back by starting my nursing training in September 2022., and resume my voluntary work in the meantime.

The art that I do ranges from pencil drawings to watercolours to clay, big pieces to bookmarks. Please take a look at the full range of rewards (listed below, with pictures) as there is so much available. Contributions in exchange for these could be lifechanging for me (please note that all donation amounts include processing fees of the website, plus postage and packaging). Any donation, big or small, will have an enormous impact on me and will be used to rebuild my life, home and mental health. If you are unable to donate/purchase a piece of art, any shares of this fundraiser would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks for your help and support!

Molly x

If you'd like to donate through PayPal without receiving a reward, please follow this link: 

PayPal Donate

Edited to add: I am absolutely blown away by the support so far - thank you so much! I've put a few extra sketches in for the lower range of donation, you can see them at the bottom of this page. Molly x

26/02/2022: WOW. What can I say? I cannot believe that I have received such generous support and have reached my initial target. In the hopes of reaching the higher target, which will allow me to more fully build a safe home, I have added quite a few extra rewards (from Christmas ornaments to sketches to crochet blankets), so please check them out at the bottom of the page. Many many thanks, Molly x

09/03/2022: Oh my goodness, 3 days to go and £3000 is in sight! Thank you so much to everyone who has donated. I have added some more rewards, including mini clay dinosaurs, a crochet blanket, and mini clay gonks/gnomes. Please scroll to the bottom of the page to see these.

REWARDS

*please note that all donation amounts include the processing fees of the site, as well as postage and packaging*

NEW 4/4/22: Commission a rainbow animal, created with a bamboo dip pen and ink, finished with vibrant watercolour paint, £25 or 2 for £40

NEW 4/4/2022: Pastel Crochet Blanket, 115 x 94cm, £40

~Last minute addition: One of a kind watercolour painting of an otter patronus  (Just like Hermione's!) £20

Clay 'hug' token for a £3 donation

One of a kind clay creatures ranging between £3-£21 pictured at the bottom (just because there are so many!)

Hand-painted 'Hope' signs in a variety of styles for a £5 donation

Watercolour bookmark, in unique colour-ways with a variety of affirmations for a £5 donation

A5 'Make Yourself a Priority' Mixed Media Poster, £9

A5 'Think Progress Not Perfection' Mixed Media Poster, £9

A5 'Real Not Perfect' Mixed Media Poster, £9

A5 'Believe in Yourself'/'Be You' Mixed Media Poster, £11

Commission an A5 Inspirational Mixed Media Poster, £14

Commission a one of a kind mixed media poster (watercolour background with acrylic writing) in a colour scheme of your choice with an inspirational message/affirmation writing in acrylic paint

Original pencil drawing of parrots (only one available) for a £10 donation

Prints of Patronus artwork (either stag, phoenix or otter) for a £10 donation

Commission a clay cat, dog bone or reindeer with your chosen word(s) for £12

Commission a Rainbow Cloud with your choice of name for £15

Get a clay Dobby for a £25 donation (only one available!)

Commission a clay Dobby with your choice of clothes for a £30 donation

Black and White Pen Drawings for a £24 donation

(Already claimed: rabbit, baby orangutan and baby penguin)

Commission a patronus watercolour - your choice of colour scheme and animal - for a £36 donation

Pastel Crochet Baby Blanket 90cm x 68cm £27

Hand-Sewn Patchwork Quilt 93cm x 66cm £45

Clay animals and creatures

Commission a unique clay animal/creature (as limitless as your imagination!) for between £10-22

Blue hug monster £9

Blue Triceratops £8

Frazzled monster £12

Green dinosaur

Green Palm Buddy £12

Grumpy Monster £10

Hedgehog £4

Orange Waving Monster £6

Pair of Otters Holding Hands £11

Pink Dinosaur £5

Pink Palm Buddy £13

Purple Hug Monster

Rainbow Hedgehog £5

Rainbow Unicorn £16

Red Dinosaur £5

Sad Blue Monster £13

Tongue-Out Monster £7

Toothy Monster £4

Winged Dragonwith Butterfly on Nose £21

Small Gonks/Gnomes, £5 each

If you don't see exactly what you want here, please message me and I can see if I could make it for you! :)

ADDITIONAL REWARDS 17.02.2022

Alpaca Biro Sketch £4

Awkward Robot Pen Sketch £2

Baby Elephant Biro Sketch £3

Baby Bunny Biro Sketch £5

Husky Biro Sketch £4

Husky Puppy Biro Sketch £3

Kingfisher Coloured Pencil Sketch £8

Tortoise Biro Sketch £2

*Additions 26/02/2022*

Scrabble Hope Magnets, £5

Scrabble 'Family' magnet, £5

3 Nordic wooden Christmas ornaments, £9:

3 Cartoon 'shocked' wooden Christmas ornaments, £9:

A4 One of a kind Acrylic painting: What Mental Illness feels like, £26:

Large Purple Crochet Blanket (125x140cm), £48:

Large Blue Crochet Blanket (125x140cm), £45:

Square Pink Crochet Blanket (115x115cm), £35:

A5 Dot picture, £6

A5 Bright squares, £5

A5 Bright Geometric £5

A5 Frog on Leaf, £12

A5 Kingfisher (number 2), £10

A5 Flower, £12

Unique Door Signs - £20

Mini Pink dinosaur with colourful swirls, £5:

Mini blue spotty dinosaur, £6