About this site

Jen Schwartz : Actual Person is an independent publication launched in May 2025 by me, Jen Schwartz! The name was tripped upon in a creative writing group called the Tiny Empire, taught by the incredible Stephanie Domet, while I was sharing a frustrating experience I'd recently had in the health care system as a person with a disability. So yes, I'm an actual person.

As a long time writer and first-time-taking-it-seriously-er, I'm grateful to be here.

About My Content

I decided to start this blog after years of writing for fun and being told that I ought to share it. Turns out sharing it is even more fun - especially when folks find my words relatable or helpful in some way.

For a long time, I thought I had to "niche down". I've been a multi-potentialite for years now, so at this point I'm niche-less, and choosing to view life as a something of a buffet. If you're here you'll find insights, humour, but most importantly - reality - about living with disability, accessibility, queerness, plus-size fabulousness, love, community, and my ongoing journey through navigating personal sovereignty within the context of all of the above. Being human is an experience, and all written pieces are shared are through my own lens, and without the influence of AI — unless otherwise stated.

About Supporting My Work

While I'm living my millennial Carrie Bradshaw fantasy of having my own column - if you’d like to support my work financially, there are options. But let me be clear: my writing will always be free to read here. My hope is that these words bring you a spark of inspiration, a sense of connection, or a smile about how weird it is to be human sometimes.

If they do, I'd be honoured if you'd share on your own social media or leave a comment on my post.

If you're feeling keen to support me in a practical way, know that I do a little happy dance every single time I get a notification of a new subscriber - paid or otherwise.

The funds I receive from my generous subscribers and donors allows me to:

✨ Continue to host the blog in the big world of the internet
✨ Move toward work that's more aligned with my purpose
✨ Work for myself and manage my own accommodation/care needs without relying (as much) on a 9-5, which is often hard on my body and brain as a disabled and neurodiverse person.

Monetary Ways to Support My Work

• You can subscribe.
  There are 3 tiers (price options) in Canadian Dollars.
  You can subscribe monthly or annually at any tier.
• You can make a one-time donation.
• You can hire me for one-time or ongoing writing/editing/admin gigs.
  Need an absolutely ridiculous poem written in under 10 minutes about two random things? I'm on it. Need your inbox decluttered or your family photos scanned? I got you on that, too.
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Non Monetary Ways to Support My Work

• Like and interact with me on Facebook at: Jen Schwartz: Actual Person
• Tell your friends, neighbours, and strangers on the street!
• Share my posts to your own socials if so moved - or direct share if there's content that may resonate for someone you know.
• Subscribe at the free tier so that you get my posts by email
  Since I’m not keen on trusting my stories (solely) to the whims of social media—subscribing here means you’ll never miss a post. We're not beholden to the algorithms, and my words will be here to catch up with you when you're ready, if you've been busy living your best offline life. ;)
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  If supporting with dollars isn’t your thing (or isn’t in the cards right now), please know there’s zero pressure and absolutely no hard feelings. But if you do find value here and want to help keep this project going, I’d be genuinely grateful for your support - in whatever form that takes.

Thanks so much for being here.