I paid off my student loans! (Patreon)

Holy shit!

I am now completely debt-free! For the first time since... I literally cannot remember!

Why am I telling you guys? Well, here's some storytime for people who don't know. I can't remember if I told this story to you guys already, and it's a bit of a long one, so here we go... (TLDR version at the very bottom)

Back around early 2016 I was at the lowest point of my life. I had just ended a bad relationship, concluding an extended run of bad luck and poor financial decisions fueled by panic. I had drained my savings, racked up thousands of dollars of credit card debt and was forced to move back in with my parents. This is in addition to the impressive student loan debt I had accrued, having made little headway since graduating college in 2013. My total debt was in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Living commission payment to commission payment, prospects for finding an affordable place on my own was grim... It was going to be very expensive without roommates, but I desperately needed to live by myself. My best solution was an apartment in a city an hour away from family and friends. The alone time was sorely needed, but I was at a loss as to my next step in life.

How was I going to make a dent in my debt? How could I possibly save for the future? I had long-standing clients that were very generous to keep hiring me, but it was only enough to tread water. More and more it seemed like art, the field I went to college for and was truly passionate about, was no longer enough to live on. Art had been so much of my life for so long, that it truly broke my heart to think I'd have to replace it.

Before this point, I was too scared to try Patreon. I was dubious that I could make enough money through Patreon to survive, and it was safer to just keep taking commissions. But as the reality of my situation sank in, I realized I had nothing to lose.

And so, I formed my plan: I would open a Patreon and dedicate 100% of my time to producing content for it. And at the end of 6 months, if it wasn't enough to live on, I would close it and start making plans to learn a new profession. Pushed to the wall, I figured that if I couldn't make a living drawing my own ideas and comics, then at least I could say that I gave it a shot.

The positive response was more than I could have ever dreamed of. By the end of 6 months, I was not only covering my living expenses, but actually starting to make headway on my debt. The relief I felt, being able to draw my own content and that people were willing to support it, was indescribable. And now, two and a half years after starting my Patreon, I have crushed my credit card debt and wiped out my student loans. 

After six years of struggling with insurmountable debt, it is because of you guys that I could finally defeat it. Whether you are a supporter from back in the early days, or if you just joined yesterday, it is thanks to you that I have been able to turn my life around. All of you have given me a path to the future when I was certain I had none. I can't imagine having another job, and I hope I can continue to make explicit smut for you for as long as I am able. Thank you so very much! 

TLDR: I started my Patreon as a gamble and it worked out and completely turned my life around and paid all my debt and it's all thanks to you! 100%! Thank you from the bottom of my soul!