Hello, out there. My name is Corey, and I'm trying to chase a dream.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved working (and playing) with my hands. From LEGO to clay to whatever scraps of "junk" material I could lay them on, I've always been more interested in making something that was my own with my own two hands than just buying something off the shelf that was just like every other one out there. Even if I did get something mass-produced, I was almost always looking for ways to tweak it and make it my own.

As I got older, however, the "toys" I wanted to tweak - and tools to do so - got more expensive, and space to work on anything became more and more limited. "For fun" hobbies like modifying Nerf blasters or kit-bashing Lego models gave rise to a desire to pursue potential vocations such as blacksmithing, furniture making, and car restoration/customization. These and so many other ambitious pursuits have wormed their way into my mind and given me an extra-large itch to tinker.

For years now I have had one consistent desire: to have a dedicated space; a home for the various tools and materials I'd need to make just about anything without being in anyone's way. And the solution seemed simple enough: I need a workshop.

It didn't have to be much; just something separate from our living space where paint fumes and sawdust and the miscellaneous detritus of crafting wouldn't bother anyone (it is rather difficult to do anything too ambitious in the family dining room). And as the range and ambition of projects and craft disciplines that interest me grow, so does this desire for a work shop in which I could tackle woodworking, leatherworking, metalworking, sewing, and any other form of crafting I might need to build whatever popped into my over-actively imaginative mind.

And for all those years there has been one chief problem. There are plenty enough nooks and crannies on our property to set up a workshop, and my family and I are handy enough that we could probably build one well enough ourselves (calling in some expert help from our extended family for things like electrical and possible plumbing work), and plenty enough yard sales, garage sales, and flea markets from which to obtain tools, scrap, and crafting materials relatively cheap (sometimes even free), but the initial cost of construction materials to build a place to PUT those things much less make good use of them was always too great, and it always seemed some new emergency would pop up and wipe me out before I'd saved up enough to even consider getting started.

The most recent being the loss of my mother, who was herself incessantly drawn to everything hand-crafted and bespoke. She always pushed me to do more than just dream about doing things; to not put off for later in life the things I want to do in the here and now.

So, as much as I have always hated having to ask anyone for money it has become an avenue I must consider if I'm to see this happen before I'm too old to make any use of it.

And that's why I am here, lifting up a prayer and a humble request that anyone who can and feels called to might donate even a small amount and contribute to the realization of a manifold dream. A dream that presents not only a creative outlet but a possible business venture creating custom and bespoke items not just for myself but for others. And the continuation of a dream held by a woman who can no longer chase it here.

I had no specific monetary goal in mind as I created this, only a general sense of how much I thought would "be enough" to lay the foundational groundwork for a work space, build it out to suit my needs, and furnish it with the tools I'd need to take on these projects and equipment to do so safely (don't want to be operating a forge/foundry without a good fire extinguisher or two on hand).

How this all unfolds depends largely on how much I can raise. Whether I build the workshop from the ground up, get a pre-fab shed to build off of, or pick up an old camper or shipping container (or two), it all starts with clearing and leveling probably at least a 20'x20' space overall and putting a roof over the whole thing. That's a lot of sand, gravel, and lumber. I want to avoid pouring a slab if possible just because that's a lot more work and expense (not to mention bureaucratic pain in the backside). I also want to set up both an indoor and an outdoor working space. The former will be for leatherworking, sewing, electroplating, finish work, and possibly set up a 3D printer in there if that structure is sufficiently weatherproof to keep humidity in there to a minimum. And the latter for forging, casting, sanding, painting, anything that's likely to create a mess and would benefit from ample ventilation. For obvious reasons the outdoor area at least has to be as rugged and fire-resistant as possible, which unfortunately adds to the overall expense. And lastly there are tools I haven't picked up yet because they're 1) relatively expensive, 2) fairly large, and 3) I have no place yet to put them.

Near as I have it figured I believe I can comfortably accomplish this with about $10k, and maybe have a bit left over to invest into raw materials. If this really just takes off like a rocket maybe I'll look into building/renting a bigger space. Heck, maybe it'll REALLY take off and I could just pack up and move my whole family to a bigger place with suitable outbuildings already on the property. Who knows? All I know is God is in charge and I'm praying and trusting He'll guide this to the right people.

One thing I like about GSG here is if a goal is met the "campaign" doesn't just end there, so while I've set the goal at the minimum I think I'd need to get started I do have thoughts on what I'd do if things really took off.

My primary plan right now involves clearing and leveling a roughly 20x20 space and laying down barrier materials to help with drainage and keep invasive plant growth to a minimum. I'd dedicate at least a quarter to half of this space to the outdoor work area, where I'd set up the forge, smelting furnace, anvil, and a couple work surfaces for casting and other metalworking, and the rest be enclosed somehow. I'd like to surround the work area with a stone wall and a gate to keep as much of the local wildlife out as possible, and have some manner of roof over the whole area as well.

At the bare minimum I'm thinking if I can get enough cash scraped together to get a 12x20 metal carport kit and either a 10x12 shed kit or even a fixer-upper, tow-behind camper (just needs to be "road worthy" enough to get it here then it's going up on blocks) that should serve for both an indoor and outdoor workspace, and figure out how to run power to it.

If I can hit $100k or more, though, I'm just going to pay off the mortgage on my parents' home (because I wouldn't be here without them) and bite the bullet on getting permits to build a more permanent structure. Or maybe even look into moving the whole family out of NYS and onto a property that already has a suitable outbuilding.

If I can hit $500k not only is this dream more than fully funded AND a better house for the whole family possible, it would also set me up to provide a home for a family of my own, something that has become more of a priority for me lately as a certain someone special in my life has restored the hope of having someone to spend the rest of my life with.

If by some miracle this hits $1m....honestly I don't know what happens then. Ultimately I'm not "chasing money for money's sake." Money is just the means to an end, and that end in my mind is buying a large plot of land, building homes for my family, our friends, and our future generations to live in, and building an entire little community of dream-chasers working together and being as self-sustaining as we can be.

It's all in God's hands. If He has put it on your heart to do so I thank you for any contribution you can give, even if it's "just" boosting the signal by passing this on to others in your circle, that actually does help more than you might realize. If the goal is $10,000 and only ten people ever see this, each one would have to donate over a thousand dollars a piece (to cover service fees) for me to reach that goal. But it 10,000 people saw it, the goal could be reached by each one donating a little over a dollar. Imagine if a million people saw and even "just" half of them chose to donate.  

Whatever the case may be, thank you very much for your time, and God bless.