Art is my Sword and Shield

Hi Ryceballs! Today I just wanna share with you guys stories about how art has affected my life in a positive way, how it protected me as well as how it made me become a more confident man as you see today, this applied very heavily especially during my school years.



This is a photo of me when I was at school. I wasn't the best looking fella and wasn't very smart either, all I did was play Pokemon and daydream, actually I was pretty much setting myself up for great humiliation and constant bullying with what I do lol. But one thing kept my head above water, I used to draw... a LOT. I used to draw in my little pink diary as well as even drawing in my homework. I just really loved.. to draw. And you know what? I gained a lot of respect for that. I wasn't one of those popular kids at school but I actually got along with ALL the stereotype groups, I got along with the popular guys, the nerds, the hot girls, the Hongkies, the Korean breakdancers, the wannabe gangsters, I even got along with the kids who usually hates everyone. It wasn't like I was friends with all of them groups but all of them liked me and respected me, it really was like I was in an episode of 'Everybody loves Ry' ok? And I am lucky and grateful for that, I think the thing was people just tend to respect those with a talent? Mine happen to be art. And to be honest I mostly hung around guys who weren't popular and a bit geeky and just played videogames all day, I feel that I am most comfortable around these 'non-cool' friends because we have a common interest and they are incredibly nice people, they don't put on a mask to impress girls because... well because they don't talk to girls to start off with... And sometimes yes they do get bullied and teased by the more popular guys, it is sad to see. But no one really tried to bully me or anything eventhough I hung around the nerdy kids.

Actually at one point I even got a 'gangsters protection' status from these so called 'Gangster Busters' because they like me so much. Now I don't understand why they were called Gangster Busters because these guys were also gangsters, they were gangsters who fights gangsters apparently? Wait does that mean that they fight themselves sometimes?? Or maybe its like a symbolic thing? Like they are gangsters so everyday they have to fight their own inner demon in order to keep themselves from becoming a real gangster or something? I don't know it was very confusing. But they told me if other gangs try to mess with me I can go to them for help. I of course just nodded and never talked to them much again, I don't wanna get involved in any gangster wannabe wars!

I was also quite popular with the ladies, once in a while I would get a girl asking if I can draw them like one of my french girls. LOL NO. well not that extreme, but yes I would draw them if they ask (With their clothes on of course) and yeah I would get along with them and then nothing would happen LOL. My friends would be like 'Woah dude you actually talked to a girl! What are these mystical creatures like? Did you gain super powers from this?'. But yeah, I do I think that this whole art thing kinda boosted my confidence a little bit, I was the bravest (well I would say most natural one) out of my group when it comes to talking to pretty girls, to be honest its not even that big of a deal when I think about it now, they are just human beings like everyone else afterall.. but you know kids, back then there was the whole girls germs/ boys germs and how if you talk to a girl you are a loser kinda thing. I mean we were like 17.. BUT STILL GIRLS GERMS WERE STILL AROUND OK? :'U

So yeah. Having a talent for art has protected me from bullying as well as helping me talk to girls... (omg such a loser). Oh also, another thing that I also used as my Sword and Shield was my sense of humour. I was friendly with everyone and cracked a joke once in a while. Remember this, no matter how fantastic your art is, if you are an asshole then your art won't do you any good. Nobody likes an asshole.

So thats that, I hope you Ryceballs out there ain't being bullied or anything in school now.. If you are then I am sorry to hear that.  I hope this journal has helped you in some way or another in understanding how to 'fit in'. Well not so much about how to become the most popular person or whatever.. but just how to gain respect from your peers. As well as using your talent to show others that you are not to be messed around with.

Ry-Spirit cares.

_.