I have been away for a while, and it feels like it has been far too long. It pains me to say this but I got overwhelmed, and crushed with the weight of always trying to be on top of everything. Moving moving moving, I was always moving. Moving to get income again, flying to make sure the kids had everything they needed for home and school, Running to get some drawings in, and Fighting to push trough this pain of old and new injuries to be healthy again. I thought I was invincible, and I could keep going, but you could say I found my limits, and had to push some things aside and refocus my life.
After a long year of fighting I was finally recieving my Permenant Disability pay. For an entire year we were living off scraps, my kids missed birthdays, holidays, and so much more. My wife and I hadn't gone on a real date in all that time, and as far as profession in the art industry how could I compete when I couldn't even buy a photo copy of my artwork to sell. I did feel good that in that time I did reach a wide audiance and gained a lot of respect having not spent a dime, but I did find out the harsh truth. If you don't have money to invest in your self, you are not going to sell. You can share all you want with the power of social media, but unfortunatly with the changes in internet marketing every form of advertisment costs money. I did all the techniques you would do aside from buying ads, and I had a lot of success, but not enough to make a career out of it. But now that all changes. Now I have a small budget to buy business cards, prints, and online ads. I can even make my website ad free. It feels good to know that it won't happen right away, but with all I have learned over this year, I can now implement that with a strong plan, and you will get to see a whole lot more coming from my website, this blog, and every social media page I own.
It's funny how something so simple can change your life for the better. Not just for my artwork, but everything changed. I could actually feel myself getting stronger and healthier with the weight and stress being lifted off of my broken back. I am no longer walking with a cane any more, and my energy levels are the highest I remember since the accident. I have been able to walk the kids to and from school each day, and excercise lightly again. Even my wrist doesn't bother me as much. I drew two hours the other day without any issues. That hasn't happened as long as I can remember. I tell you one thing my kids, and wife noticed it before I did. I thought I was doing what I usually do and push trough it. I feel like the kryptoninte is finally being expelled from my body. I can be Superman again.
Superman is who I will always be. I was born to be him, and to my family I am him. I forgot that along the way somewhere and had to be reminded. A funny story that happened on Halloween. I walked my kids to school for their costume parade, and my kids were in costume, but I was wearing my Superman shirt, and jeans. One of my daughter's friends asked me if I was going as Superman this Halloween and I said no, (I was a Swat Police Officer this year,) Then my daughter made my my day by saying why would he dress up like Superman for Halloween, he is Superman everyday. Talk about choking me up a bit right. I think she was trying to get a bonus on her allowence...Which she did. ha ha. But what this really meant to me was how much my kids believed in me. The wanted me to prove to them that there was no giving up, and being stronger than your situation is what makes a hero. I didn't have to leap buildings in a single bound, I only had to leap hurdles. I didn't have to be more powerful than a locomotive, I just had to show them I was more powerful than my injuries. I didn't have to move faster than a speeding bullet, all they ever wanted was me to slow down and take my time enjoying life with them. So I did. I slowed down, and the rest took care of itself. I was able to listen, learn and better myself.
Sometimes it's good to just fly up above the Earth and just drift in space quietly listening to the world.Just get away and relax until it's your time. It wasn't my time yet and I got discouraged. I let the world place it's weight on me, but now I choose to fly above it and make things happen.
So in the next coming months a whole lot is going to happen. New is the theme. New art, new comics, new lessons. All of it will be new. I will even add some new contests just to make things more fun, and interactive. So I hope you join me as I grow. I would like to see a lot of you grow with me.
I made a list of all my social media sites if you want to link up, and share your art, and talents with the world. Check out the image below.
Thank you for reading,
Derrick
http://derrickr.webs.com
COLORED PENCIL Magazine
Standard / 8.25" x 10.75"Print: $5.99Digital: $2.99
Standard / 8.25" x 10.75"Print: $9.99
Standard / 8.25" x 10.75"Print: $5.99Digital: $2.99
