The video is a update on my business. I have been working a couple of part time job to make up for the missing income and for better camera equipment for more videos. I will be making video for online courses. However, right now I am looking for better video editor software. The current software program I have is not able to do what I want it to do. I want to be able to make fast speed video of me painting on canvas. I want to be able to show you my progress. It have been a learning progress figure out how to make that happen.
Also in the video I take about how I was inspired to make more traditional art from my comics series Angie’s Adventures. I feel like I have a lot of ideas for new painting ever since I starting working on comics.
You know I enjoy hanging out and talking with my older neighbors. Many of them are veterans like me. They have cool first hand stories from World War II, working on a Navy ship, when they talk about their college days, and more. Many of them have stories that they cannot say in public because they would have the military show up on their door step when they do public their story. However, I believe their is a way to tell their story in a way that it would not be giving names, detail in the story that would give them away.
The answer is telling a fantasy fiction story. You can tell many stories with fiction characters who are not human. You can change the problem in the story to something else. This is another way that fiction story can be used to help these who felt like they cannot tell their story without being stop by someone else. I would not be surprise that many people who creator manhua in China would be telling their own story in fiction stories. Manhua is the Chinese word for comic. Manhua are simply to manga which is comic in Japanese.
There are many cool manhua and manga that include worker class that tells the story from one individual that may cover fantasy, romantics, comedy, and etc. And it is not all written to kids, a good part are made for full adults who have real problems in the modem world today. The reason why I bring this as an example is because in the US we have many people who feel like they could not write, draw, or create anything cool. My point is that everyone have a story to tell and someone may love to hear your story. There is growing love for Japanese and Chinese culture in the US. I would not be surprise that many countries would like to heard individual stories from the US about US culture.
To concussion about my neighbor who have a cool story to tell, he will be talking to me for advise on how to change his story to fiction story that will not give away important detail that will get him in trouble with the military. It is not the military fault, it is just that their are jobs that are dangerous and the military does not want to scary off people from joining. We are in a society today who don’t understand that there are certain jobs in the military that key to our country safety.
I would love to heard your thought on this subject. If you have friends and family who keep talking about really cool stories they live though, encourage them to write and if they don’t want people to learn who they are. They can create a pin name and change the character to non-humans, change the environment such as outer space, or different time periods such as a the stone age.
You know I have been told that I am too kind for my own good. However, the reason why making comics and create art is so important to me because I had time in my life that was so rough, breathing was hard. It seem like no matter what I did, my situation was not going to get better. However, anime was my saving grace and one anime stand out above the rest. That anime was Fairy Tail, created by Hiro Mashima. Fairy Tail is story of a world full of wizard and magic. It is name Fairy Tail after a wizard guild call Fairy Tail. The story is full of challenge the members of Fairy Tail goes thought and many time they was situation when they was fighting for their lives. However, no matter how hard the situation was they never give up. Some how they would make it tho and gain strength from it. I did not have friends or family members to help me in this dark time of my life. At the same time I was persecuted due to me liking anime. I don’t think I would have gotta so interest in anime like I am now if I was accepting for what I like.
The dark part of my life that I am talking about is right after I graduated from NC A&T State Univ with a BS degree in Biological Engineering with honors. I had trouble found work in my field and I was pressure at the time by my husband who later become my ex-husband. At the time, I did not realized that I was in a deep depression. I did not realized that I was suffering from depression and anxiety until shit hit the fan. I found my self in Duke Hospital over night for suicide attempt, put in by my husband at the time. At the time I was not suicide, but I have many time before than months ago that I have thought about it when fights got so bad between my husband and me. We did not have health relationship and I had no one to talk about the problems I was facing with him. I felt so trap back than. I did have the courage back than to talk to my husband about doing karate for my kids because I was worry for my kids more than my own self. I remember I was a mess many time during karate practices and it was working to help me to deal with the many deep emotions I had bottle up.
Title: Crying Snake, media is acrylic. When you feel so different and people treat you like a monster, it looks like this. You feel trap in a world of death. However, you can made a decide to related on your strength and craw out of it.
However, I did not know at the time, my ex-husband was planning a divorce. At first he play like it was all about getting me help. He was talking with my dad and the rest of my family behind my back. He convinced them that I had schizophrenia for my mom had it. He used to court system to keep me from my children. Also, two day after I got out of the hospital, he met me in a library and had me sign separation pages. I knew what separation pages was and asked nervous, I was not a state to think logical at that time, “what are you wanting a divorce?”
He say,”No, no, no. I just think this would be for the best. You are sick and need help. This is only temporary until you get better.”
At the time I was living in hotel room with little money my ex-husband give me and force to communicate thought my sister indirectly. I was treating like I was some kind of monster. Also, being over night in the hospital was scary. I was surround by crazy people and the bathroom was gross. The doctors was asked me when you watch anime, do you see things between the lines. My answer was I enjoy anime because it express emotions more in the stories. They say they was told to say this to me by my ex-husband and dad. My dad lie to me this day and say that he never talk with the doctors when I was over night. I don’t have a relationship with my dad or other family member, that is a story for another time.
All the people I thought I could turn to during this time, abandon me for they was mutual friends thought both my ex-husband and me. They was church members of the church I went with my ex-husband who was in school to become a pastor at Duke University.
I remember the most important thing, “Don’t Give Up NO MATTER HOW HARD THINGS ARE.” I used the separation time as a way of getting my life back the way I want. I was free to think for myself. I went hiking in the many state parks of NC. I painting beautiful landscape scenery from my hiking. I got a counselor and she encourage to keep hiking and painting. My counselor had a background in child development, I learn thought her about my speech impairment. Speech impairments are a type of communication disorder where normal speech is disrupted.
Til this day, I still consider myself as a traditional artist. When I started to feel really emotions and I cannot focus on my work. I take some time to paint and have anime play in the background of my living room. This is what have work for me.
Now I am happy as I could me for my situation. It have been five years since I seen my children and I miss them greatly. However, I am moving forward toward my goals and dreams. I have not giving up. Right now I may not have a lot of followers on social media but I have a roof over my head, food, and water. I have the things to live and have fun. So I am not living a bored life which is great.
This last Christmas, I got to hang out with friends for the first time since my divorce, I was not alone during the holidays. And I made Natsu cookies and give them to my friends as Christmas gifts.
I don’t feel like I have to be mean or mad to get people attention. I feel the opposite, that if I take a lead and show people that there is a way to have fun in this world. I think more people would prefer to have a good time instead of being upset. So when I created comics, I want to make people laugh and have a good time. I want it to be something they will enjoy. I also feel like I would have a stronger connection with them if I could reach them thought their emotions. That is how it when I read Fairy Tail manga or when I watch Fairy Tail anime. I feel connected to the characters in the story and make me want more. I am now reading Hiro Mashima next manga Edens Zero. I have become loyal fan of his. I would like to have the same connections with my own fans of my comic series.
I can openly talk about my past now and hope that this could help someone else who maybe having a hard time. If this is too kind, than I never want to change. This world need more kindness not less.
Little Elf in big Pond of Drama, The Comic Industry USA 