Career Change - Fistfull of Danger - Pt 8
Kirby has no hands.
No indents or grooves or even a thumb to take advantage of. He will forever walk with adorable and woefully inefficient mittens. Orange and fuzzy, they sit on the bendy stumps he calls arms, pleading to perform deeds beyond their means. Maybe Kirby doesn’t know how weak his weapons are? Or maybe it is because they are weak that he succeeds?
I think we all feel this way sometimes. We don’t have the guts to keep on moving, or we know that what we have just won’t cut it.
As a kid I lived in a one bedroom apartment with my mom in a rundown area of town. I’d say we were broke, but saying so would mean we had the time to even quantify such ideas. She would work 2 or 3 jobs and then come home late at night sore and exhausted only to do this again. She slept on the floor on a pull out mattress, then on a hand-me-down sofa. I’ll never forget the creeky sighs of desperation it made as it unfolded from it’s hiding place. It matched my mom’s tired face. She is the definition of hero , but to a five year-old boy heroes looked so much different.
I couldn’t afford food so I wouldn’t eat. I couldn’t afford to go to have clothes and insurance so I worked daily multiple jobs a day through high school. A high-school tutor, an ice cream vendor, a balloon artist, a make-shift illustrator…And when I graduated, I realized I could never, ever afford college. Paying for gas was hard enough. It was then I was sure I’d seen the best days of my life.
The point is, no matter where you are, or what you’re doing - things will get better if you try as hard as you can and do what you love. I know this cheesy after school special message wasn’t asked for, but sometimes we need a reminder. I know I do.
I took any and every job I could until I somehow began illustrating children’s books. Sure, it was a small operation, but I had full creative control and I loved it. I wasn’t mopping floors for hours on end! Then I found design, and within a year I built a portfolio within the community college school lab. (God, if only I could’ve imagined a world where I would have had a computer in my room! How that would have inspired me to continue.)
And within yet another year I sat in a new room, at a fancy art college where I had hoped to earn a scholarship. They opened my portfolio, saw the kids books, and the designs, and he told me that this was on par with their senior level work. I was sure this meant I was in. My problems were over. My hard work was about to pay off. Then the teacher asked…
Why would you quit doing what you love? Our graduating students would be excited to do the work you do. I left the school shocked and confused. I realized that I’d skipped a step and I was scared by what it meant.
Today, I know the answer to the riddle: try. Try harder and with all of your heart. If you want something bad enough no one will stop you from achieving it. The saddest part, is that the biggest obstacle is usually ourselves. We put limits on our minds, our hopes, our goals. Never limit yourself. Never stop yourself from trying. Everyday matters more than the last. Be daring and different and impossibly you. Give meaning to the world that only you can, today, before time runs out.
My name is Josh Farkas, and I wear mittens.
Inked Page:
Today’s Comic Superstar: Larnman rocks. Not much more to say about that. He just rocks. Seriously. You can quote me on that. Rocks. Or maybe “Larnman R0XorZ”. But either way - rocks.
Remember to make a comment if you’d like to be next week’s Comic Superstar! I randomly pick someone who is great and insert their name for eternal internet fame in a crappy d-level comic. Yeah!
Today’s Hidden Comic Message: I’m pretty sure there isn’t one in here again. Especially one that hints at the big gimmick of the upcoming graphic novel. Definitely not. Maybe not. Oh crap.
Halloween Milk Pumpkin?: My pumpkin placed fourth in a pumpkin carving contest at Double Fine (creators of the best game ever, Psychonauts). Check out my creepy Milk Pumpkin! Better pictures here in the forum too. Just the thought Tim Schafer saw something worked on makes my lifetime.
Mac OS X Leopard: So I hopped over to the big kitty, and she is very nice. It hasn’t been without issues (I lost the comic above 2 times and had to restart from scratch) but I must say it is the best OS I’ve ever used bugs aside. I’m kind of loving working on my computer again which is a wonderful feeling since I do it 24-7! Once they iron out the kinks, it is really worth it for the speedy finder and Time Machine allowing me to sleep soundly at night.
Make my logo Bigger: As a designer I hear this all day. If you do too, then check out this amazing video! Kudos to AnnaMarie for pushing me to share this as it worth time to all pixel pushers.
Remember the Alamo!
-Josh
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