To my family this is not new knowledge, but I feel like I need to update the community and those who have supported us for so long. In every project there are always hurdles, roadblocks and other barriers to success. No dream, project, or organization is without them.
We had a few things planned for this year. Some really cool projects I can’t wait to find time to work on.
But then Covid happened. Navigating online school slowed many of us down, myself included. The day job picked up due to some escalations. I understand I am one of the lucky ones. Some of us, like me, have been able to maintain our day jobs with minimal risk to our livelihood. I count my blessings every day for that and will never forget how difficult it was growing up on food stamps or sleeping in my car just to get my college degree.
During that time, we’ve had some changes at Inked. Shailo and Sam have taken on some amazing personal projects that have taken them away from Inked. My responsibilities at WriteHive have increased as our nonprofit has grown and expanded. So many good things have happened for us, but I am reluctant to give up on my dream to expand Inked into what it was originally intended to be—a nonprofit organization advocating for and sharing the stories of those left misunderstood and misrepresented by our society at large.
Which is why this message is so hard for me write, but it’s been burning a hole in my mind for a long time now. I hate asking for help. It feels like I’m being a burden. But seeking others with similar dreams is not a burden.
The cause is bigger than me, and the little voice inside my head says it’s time. Covid is wearing down (knock on wood) and people are becoming vaccinated. Hopefully soon we can start repairing our communities and rebuilding our lives and mental health. We miss those we’ve lost to this terrible tragedy, but I hate to think they would want us to be miserable.
This year has a lot in store for us. We are deepening our partnerships with WriteHive and Indie Story Geek and revamping our Indie Resource Directory. The plan is to expand Inked one more step further in the direction of a 501(c)(3). We have an Editors As Mentors program planned that has been burning a hole in my Gdrive since 2016, before I founded Inked and discovered Twitter. Another expansion is a program to provide virtual resources (financial and otherwise) for physical, mental, and basic needs – funds to pay for counseling and transition, therapeutic writing programs, critique groups, workforce resources, the whole nine. We tell stories and publish works from those who are now in a better place. But what about those who are still left fighting? They deserve to overcome their barriers so that they may have a chance at the same success we had.
Turns out I can’t do all that with two people. Shocking, I know, right?
So, I would like to put a call out into the universe. Would you like to join the cause? Looking for passionate people who don’t mind putting in a few hours a week for various aspects of building up Inked to be an all -around support and voice for marginalized individuals. Specifically, we are looking for individuals with the following interests and/or skills:
• Marketing, advertising, and graphic design
• Editing – dev and/or copy
• Blogging
• Project management/outreach
We value passion and drive over knowledge, so even if you feel you do not profess extensive expertise, that is not a barrier. Our ideal candidate is someone who shares the same values and would like to be a part of this family we’ve created with WriteHive, Indie Story Geek and our collective literary communities.
If you are interested in joining the team, please send us a note about your experience and why you’d like to be a part of our family. Please send questions, inquiries and applications to contact@inkedingray.com
Thank you!
Kota and Sangy