My Story

Most people visiting my website have known my story and supported me for years but for anyone new I want to tell you my story.

Hi, My name is Nathanial aka Nate and I am a 16 year old boy from Oxfordshire. I love all things art and crafts and I am also a big gamer (PlayStation) I got my first copy of Minecraft when I was 6 years old and became obsessed. My bedroom was a mix of Pokemon, Lego and Minecraft with art supplies always scattered somewhere. My Grandparents introduced me to Hama Beads one Christmas and I loved them. I quickly used up my first mixed tub of 10000 beads making Pokeballs and Minecraft figures and anything else I could think of, my Mum and Dad bought me more every birthday and Christmas and even school holidays I would get more. I then discovered the mini size and asked for a pack of mixed colours to try them out. I made my Grandma some earrings and Mum a Necklace.

In 2019 when I was 11 my mum posted some of the things I had made on a local Facebook group and she was soon getting comments saying to start a Facebook page and Instagram. I sold enough to keep me well restocked in Hama beads but to me it was just for fun. When I wasn’t at school or doing some kind of art or playing Minecraft I was at my grandparents house helping my grandad with a car build, we did a little bit as and when he was well enough and I loved it. He doesn’t have very good grip in his hands so I was very hands on! The plan was to get get it finished and then when I was old enough I could drive it.

Then the world ended or at least the world that I knew. Grandad got really sick and ended up needing a kidney transplant. I will forever be thankful to the donor and their family but it’s still sad to think that my happiness finding out he was getting a kidney meant someone else had lost a loved one. I couldn’t see grandad for ages and then just as he was well enough Covid started and Lockdown happened. I couldn’t go to school or visit my grandparents at all for so long and it really made me sad, every phone call ended with me or them crying but we made plans for the future and I kept busy doing even more crafts, it was the only thing that took my mind off of all the bad things that were happening in the world.

That is when PXL Nate was born and my mum and dad helped me to set up a real business. My goal was to use the money from sales to buy the parts grandad and me needed for the car and for a while things looked better. As the world began to get back to a new kind of normal I went back to school and I could even visit my grandparents now and then. We started doing bits to the car when Grandad had good days but they were few and far between.

Being back at school was not as great as I hoped. A lot of other kids found out about PXL Nate and the bullying started. Not physically but they would laugh and call me names, I tried to ignore it but every time I posted something on social media they would be ready with some kind of cruel comment. 

It’s now 2024 and GCSEs are over. I’m hoping to continue doing art as I love it and I want to learn more about social media, content creation and all the things that come with running a business. I still get nasty comments online now and then but I don’t let it bother me anymore. I now want to take my business full time as I have loads of plans for the future. Sadly the car build won’t be continued and we have now sold it to someone that can put the love and time into it. Grandads health is getting worse and he just can’t do what he used to, we have lots of little projects we can do that take up a lot less room so I'm hoping he enjoys that. So far we have fixed his petrol generator and a chainsaw.

That’s it really, I don’t know where I will be in the future but I know I have support from some great people, most of them I have never met and can’t thank enough.

 

 

Update: I have been asked multiple times over the years if people can support me in other ways and honestly just sharing my posts across social media and telling your friends and family is enough but I have put other ways below. Please don't think that this is me asking or begging for you to buy or give me anything. Your kind words of support and advice mean the world to me.

Nathanial

 

 

Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/30700FIK7Y0N2?ref_=wl_share This is my list of Art Supplies, Snacks, Books and all sorts of fun and work related things. Please note that this is also the list that I share with family for birthdays and Christmas so prices of things vary dramatically and I don't expect anyone to buy the expensive items.

Paypal: paypal.me/pxlnateshop This is for direct donations, ALL money from this goes towards improving my business and keeping my website active. One of my Goals is to have a custom website designed for me in the future.

Tip The Artist: TIP THE ARTIST – pxlnate This is a non physical listing in my shop for £1 that you can add to any order you place. Just Like PayPal Donations will be used for the business only.