Sasha Van't Hul
My name is Sasha, I'm 51 years old, and I split my time between Beacon, NY and Brooklyn. I've called New York City home since I was 26. Just before the pandemic lockdown, I moved in with my partner.
Currently, my art isn’t my primary source of income. I’m about to start a part-time faculty position teaching meditation at a school, and I also work as a yoga instructor at a hedge fund. I’ve been doing some form of this work for about 12 years, and it pays well. Before the pandemic, I was teaching dance and doing some writing. In my earlier years, I was a professional dancer and choreographer.
Financially, things were always tight. I had zero wiggle room in my budget and carried constant low-grade credit card debt. I’ve been lucky and scrappy to make ends meet. While I probably could have qualified for food stamps, I never applied due to the stigma. I am on Medicaid, which has become easier to navigate in NYC over the years, though the healthcare system can still be frustrating.
When I was selected for the Creatives Rebuild New York guaranteed income program, I felt like I had won the lottery. A friend had told me about it, and I was shocked to be chosen. At the time, I was barely working due to the pandemic, and my mother was extremely ill in Massachusetts. I thought the money would help with my art, but it ended up being a lifeline as I cared for my mother in her final days. It was like having bereavement leave — it truly saved me.
The impact of this guaranteed income has been profound. It allowed me to travel to Africa to see my brother in Togo, which not only gave me the opportunity to explore but also inspired my writing. The financial cushion has eased my anxiety and digestive issues, which I now realize were closely tied to financial stress. It’s made me more optimistic about the future, which has positively affected all my relationships.
To those who argue that giving people money will stop them from working, I say that’s ridiculous. This isn’t millions of dollars — it’s just enough to ensure you can eat three meals, have shelter, and not panic about the basics. If we had a program like this for everyone who needed it, I believe it would allow people to pursue better jobs, ease their nervous systems, and help them be more effective in their work.
This experience has shown me what it’s like to have a financial cushion. Guaranteed income programs are not about stopping work — they’re about providing the stability needed to thrive and contribute more fully to society.
Essay by: Sasha Van’t Hul
