What it do and who you be with!? That’s probably the most fun you’re going to get out of this post.
I just posted to Instagram, my “art” instagram for the first time in maybe 7 or 8 months, but my caption was too long for that platform so I’m going to finish my thought here:
Holy shit it’s been a while and what a fucking wild ride it has been huh!? So, sorry about abandoning my duties here, I might even just delete this page all together and only upload to @yahomied but, I haven’t really made a decision on that I’m just thinking out loud, here, let me fill you in:
I’ve essentially just been my own worst critic, and, I’ve been such a horrible, or, effective critic that I essentially convinced myself to just stop drawing, altogether. At first it was “only during school” but as time went on I lost all drive, all motivation, all creativity. It wasn’t until January that with a few friends over I actually opened up a sketchbook, took out some markers and some pencils and actual made an image I didn’t initially hate, since then the bug to draw has bit me time and time again and now, I’m finally scratching that itch. Can’t say this is a return to #dailysketch but it is a return to posting here, all the same.
This image isn’t clear, it’s me on my hands and knees in utter confusion at the state of the world. How are we supposed to or meant to care for everything happening all at once? Specifically, I’m talking about Russia and the Ukraine. I was talking with a friend that didn’t seem to understand how sanctions were supposed to help end the war, how “hurting the Russian people” was supposed to help end the war, when they themselves didn’t do anything. They aren’t wrong, per say, but I do feel for them. I saw a girl, a Russian girl, who started posting on another app about giving away $500 ruble to two people that followed her, and I thought, “well, if she can give away money to them I can probably give some money to her, as long as she’s supporting other people.” At that time, 500 Ruble was $5.12 in USD, where $500 USD was $66k Ruble, outrageous.
It’s interesting to me to see them post however, because they do not allude that life is harder for them, they kind of just keep up the content, as if it’s an attempt to not have their followers worry, to not lose followers too, I imagine, and if they dissent they could lose more than just their platform, if you really think about it, right?
So I think the most effective way to help, other than taking up arms and joining their military is to do what little you can to ease their financial burden. I couldn’t find that girl cash app, and apparently banks aren’t even allowing transactions to Russia citizens, but she does stream on Twitch, so maybe i could buy a bunch of followers, subscribe to her channel, etc.
But she’s just one of many, I’m following about 7-8 people in either Russia or Ukraine right now, and only one of which is actively updating on the status of the war and how it’s affecting the citizens, civilian lives in Ukraine. Of course, I see enough news about it already, so much so that I’ve begun to avoid news stations, sources, blocking them on Twitter or other platforms and muting what I can or informing the service provider that I am “not interested in this post,” for the sake of my own sanity.
Some people at work tend to echo the same thing as well, that we’re “not meant to see this carnage day after day” and a while back I even thought imagine a time of war before social media, before television, where you would wait by a radio or read the paper for news and updates, maybe gossip with people and learn through word of mouth and hearsay if you weren’t in a country directly involved. Simpler times I’m sure, anxiety and tensions would be high yes, but perhaps not THIS high.
And from there you have everything else affected by this war and the problems the country had before the war and then you’re own problems before the countries problems have an effect on you.
The maxim was “Life’s not fair” sure, but it feels like now it’s “You have no chance of winning.”
But of course, like any red blooded American, any Shonen anime fan, and military advertisement, you can’t give up, never give up, and you must do your part to effectively be the change you wish to see, especially if you see no one else willing to do that part around you.
Sucks to suck.