Blog 1 - First Month...

My mom always said the month before your birthday is full of problems. In a family full of superstitions, that’s pretty normal, even the way we hang clothes on the line. But instead of following the usual traditions, I decided to take on something much more complicated: creating a new comic.

Okay, there aren’t any superstitions about comics — not that I know of — so I started in the way that “works for me”: writing the script. Though, to be fair, I can’t even say I started in November. The story was already written in my head since I was hospitalized in July. I just finally tackled the hardest part of any creative process: putting the idea into action.

For two weeks, I worked on the story, character designs, and the first drafts of the pages. Everything was going surprisingly well… maybe too well? I’m the kind of person who’s optimistic and pessimistic at the same time. I was certain everything would go right and wrong simultaneously. Honestly, I hope a psychologist can explain me someday. But instead, I got an answer from another doctor: on November 23rd, I was officially diagnosed with depression.

It wasn’t shocking — I’d been exploring the possibility since February, and it’s not my first time receiving that diagnosis. Depression is one of those things that comes and goes, right? What hit me hardest wasn’t the diagnosis itself but the new medication. It’s made me realize just how forgetful I am and how much I rely on lists to keep my day running smoothly.

But I don’t want this first blog post to feel too heavy. What I really want to say is that: I’m okay. The first step is wanting to be okay—surrounding yourself with people who care about and love your work. And honestly, I’m so grateful for everyone who’s already here supporting me on this new project. (And hey, it’s never too late to remind you all that you can comment and send messages anytime, or let me know what you’d like to see here on the blog).

Superstition or not, this month is almost over—along with the year. I hope and wish for nothing but good things for all of us in 2015. And for the rest of this month—at least until the 30th, my birthday—maybe my mom was onto something after all.

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