ariotstorm

A lot has happened, but that's the fun part. Everything keeps changing and we get to grow and learn from it.

Have experienced sexism, racism, colorism. I have been marginalized, excluded, forgotten, and dismissed. I'm surprised when I'm included in any conversation; but never surprised that I'm not remembered as if I'm always a new. After 18 years in the industry new for me stands for Not Exemplary Work.

I see things have gotten worse during this election season. I see that the doors of a lot of hearts have been flung wide open and people aren't really surprised by what they've found inside. I'm not surprised (see beginning). The injustice is deep. Our indifference is crippling, and the anonymity of  social media is enabling. We love dead victims and outrageous bullies. We value shock over substance. Don't blame the two out-of-touch candidates. They're the prize in the box, not the bitter crackerjacks. But you know what? Life goes on. Ugly though it may be, ugly as it has ever been. What will you do? I didn't ask what you're hoping some elitist will gift to you, what will YOU do? Will you write that book? Will you draw that page? Will you start that project? Will you commit to making your next day better? In spite of it all I now that I can and that I will because I have always done so (see beginning).

My name is Alitha Evelyn Martinez. I am the first generation of my family born in American to immigrant parents, and I AM NOT AFRAID.

...go on. 

So happy! I've gotten www.ariotstorm.com up and running again. Okay, it's a super, super simple thing built on WIX which I haven't upgraded or made particularly fancy, but it's a start that I hope to build on. I've been reading a lot of indie books and the main thing that grabbed me was a site that allowed me to read it and get it right away without any commentary or a lot of fuss. With that in mind I focused on Foreign first since it's an ebook now. I'm laying out something for Yume and Ever, but I want to create some new art for it. Why has it taken me so long... ... ... ... ...I guess I had to hit rock bottom first.

By Saturday my son and I may really be able to say we hiked x number of miles in the snow and cold just to get home. We're attending First Contact in Queens on Valentine's Day. I'm not feeling very good ii general, not sick, but just not in the mood. I've been having something of a rough time at shows lately. There's a lot of meanness out there. I didn't sign up for abuse, or to be abused. It's sort of like putting yourself in the stockades with a free basket of tomatoes at you feet. The fans are always great, I like to talk to people, but only at my booth. On panels it's very, very hard. And I think there's a growing confusion about what I consider my story to be. I draw, I like to do it in spite of any hardship. I draw for industry and for myself, which is all that matters. It sort of hurts to hear people say that they want to read my personal story, not my comics or my book. If my personal human story is all that matters out of my whole career than I've done something wrong. I really am not good enough, and all I was was a token female in a world that had no true place for me. That's terrible! I won't stand for it. I promise to draw more, and I'll strive to be better. We spent all year selling Beta books and refining Foreign's story. It's a journey way, but it's too much fun to stop. I'm curious to know where it will take me. That's the only kind of story I want to tell.