Keep the Alien in Tacoma

Last year, the Tacoma community and The Weekly Volcano awarded me with the title of “Best Filmmaker in Tacoma”. When I found out, I was floored. It was a huge honor, especially since I’ve been so focused on survival these last few years that I haven’t had much time to focus on filmmaking, especially outside of paid client work.

When I first moved here in the fall of 2007, I imagined it as a pit stop. It was a stepping stone to wherever I would eventually live. It wasn’t long, however, before it became a place I will always consider home, no matter where I am. Unfortunately, it’s now looking like I may have to leave the city that’s become my home.

Unless I can generate more income, quickly, I will soon have to leave Tacoma, return to my home planet of Oregon and effectively start my adult life and career all over again in a place I’ve fallen out of touch with. I don’t want to do that. I want to stay here, and help Tacoma grow and change even as it continues to help me do the same. To do this, I need your help.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

1. Hire me. I believe in working for my income, so this is the most preferable option. If you’re looking for video work or an illustrator, you can find some samples of work I’ve done for clients on my commissions page. For work history, you can also view my IMDb resume or my LinkedIn profile. But don’t think I’m just looking for work in my field of expertise; I’ve been sending out applications to fast food restaurants and the like, too. I’m willing to take on any paying job, so if you’ve got something or you have a lead on something – be it a steady job or yardwork and other odd jobs – you have my attention.
2. Donate! I do a lot of work, trying to create things – video, blogs, etc. – that I think people will enjoy. This takes a lot of time and, especially on the video side, a lot of my personal money. Producing this content often has to come to a complete halt, either because I’m focused on client work or, often, because I simply don’t have the funds to justify spending time on creative content instead of job applications. You can donate any number of ways. I have both a PayPal account and a WePay account for online donations. You can see buttons for those in the sidebar of the website, or at the bottom of this post. If you’re willing to donate, but are uncomfortable making online donations, I can also accept them in person or by mail. Simply contact me directly and we can figure it out.
3. Buy ad space. I sell ad space on this site through Project Wonderful. If you’ve got something you need to advertise, consider advertising here.
4. Buy products. I sell things, mostly from my Zazzle store. I also take requests and suggestions for products I should sell, so if you don’t see anything you want, tell me what you want me to make. I also occasionally sell artwork, so if you have any interest in that, contact me directly.
5. Don’t have a job to offer or money to give? I know the feeling. There are still ways to help. I often compete in contests to try to win funds. Lately, I’ve been competing in something called King of the Web, an ongoing contest that picks winners and resets once every half a month. You can vote ten times a day; sometimes more, though I’m currently encouraging people to save their extra votes for when they’ll make the most impact, as those can be used any time. You have to sign up for an account, but I’ve been a member for some time and can assure you that they send you no unwanted e-mail or spam. They just need people to sign up for accounts so that they can give you your allotted daily and bonus votes.
6. Most importantly, spread the word.Share my videos, my blogs, and whatever else of mine you enjoy. Encourage others to vote for me in contests like King of the Web. Know anybody looking to hire someone? Tell them about me. As an artist and a filmmaker, I am effectively a prostitute. To be an effective prostitute, I need pimps. So please, pimp me every chance you get.

 

Adam J. Manley

Website

Writer. Actor. Director. Chalk artist. YouTuber. Nerdfighter. Traveler. Pansexual. Genderfluid. Millennial. Socialist. Living a complex life beyond those words.