Good morning even if it is the afternoon. It's so nice to see you again.
If you're unaware or simply have something against reading account names before clicking a post here on Hive, my name is @NoNamesLeftToUse The Writer/Artist Himself.
I'm the type of guy that pops in from time to time to write an article and for some reason that makes a lot of people happy, some angry, but most don't care. Totally normal.
Unfortunately I have bad news today and it has to do with my face.
I Knew This Day Would Come
Cancel culture.
Apparently my face offended some people and I've come to learn my face is holding everyone back from achieving all things glorious in life.
I never intended to offend anyone and it didn't even occur to me my face was holding so many down.
Saw the markets crash a bit there, again. Of course those ripples eventually hit our shores here on Hive and all I could think about was how my face is most likely to blame.
I am so ashamed of this:
Of course, now I know better.
I also know that's ridiculous, I'm being ridiculous, and I won't be apologizing for shit.
It took a lot of years to be able to create, entertain, attract good people to the work so they can enjoy it and I can enjoy their company; make an impact.
Some of the best days of my life were spent here, doing my thing; enjoying your smiles.
And that's not some Hive cheerleader bullshit either. What you're observing right now is me using my platform. Mine. No different than you having your space. Use it wisely.
Myspace used to be quite popular on the internet but nobody there actually owned their space. What I'm saying is every account here is given their own platform. For artists especially, that's pretty fucking cool. The biggest acts in music, comedy; they go on stage but they don't own that platform. Movies, games; well distributed but they don't own their platform. Biggest names in Youtube and streaming; don't own their platform.
So if some disgruntled psycho wants to come along and start blaming the world's problems on artists — again — they start poking and prodding; chipping away at the foundation. They try to knock down the platform or put pressure on it so it doesn't hold up that artist anymore. Even worse is when they go around attacking those who support the artist. But it's all part of the game they play.
I'm not playing.
Several years ago some psycho kids walked into a school in Colorado; shot up the place. Driven by pure lunacy.
Within days Marilyn Manson was all over the news, getting blamed. Did that solve anything? Hmmm?
Who looked crazier in history? Those artists out there performing that newfangled contraption known as Rock&Roll; were they crazy? Or how about those people outside screaming about how the sound comes from the devil as they gather to chant and burn records... ?
Who looked crazier in history? The Insane Clown Posse with their wicked clown appearance, dark humor, and holding nothing back when it comes to lyrics; singing about killing bigots with an axe. Or was it the FBI that looked crazy when they labelled all fans of that group, "Gang members." Meaning something like a Psychopathic Records logo bumper sticker would be enough probable cause to get pulled over and searched. No different than getting busted for wearing a cowboy hat outside the country music festival.
Who's crazier?
So this cutting-edge technology propping up my platform adds a solid layer of protection between the artist, and these fucking crazy people out there getting their rocks off on being control freaks. They can't get in between the artist and the lover of the arts and start fucking shit up.
You can try but if you're going to make waves, you better know how to surf.
One of the most fascinating things about freedom is not even being afforded the opportunity to make a choice, you're simply free to do so. There's no master or boss or manager or anyone telling you you're free, you simply are.
People struggle with that concept.
Every time there's a problem, rather than looking at themselves, some choose to start pointing fingers and placing blame on others. Then when that doesn't work they ramp it up and start knocking down the platform; they're own platform...
Six years of that. Some used to call it Steemicide back in the day. An individual takes one minor problem, or one bad day, takes it personally, and blows it all way out of proportion. For several days, weeks, even months; acting like a tornado. Spiraling downward. Death and destruction. Nonstop. Then, finally, poof.
They're gone; blockchain and everything else remains intact. They only fucked themselves.
I've tried talking several down from that ledge over the years.
What's even more upsetting is when these little critters pop up, encouraging them to jump. Every time I've noticed those clouds forming, I see them come along and spray their chemtrails on top. They latch on, help fuel the flames. Try to inject their own narratives knowing some of these disasters get a lot of attention. Creating the perfect storm.
Nobody here is small.
And nobody here is big.
I think that whole crypto concept of minnows up to whales when applied to a social setting; all it's doing is fucking with peoples heads.
Don't feel small walking into this arena. Even if it can be intimidating at times, you're the same human you were before you walked in that door. There's no security asking you to strip down.
And don't buy the bullshit line of fear some try to sell you either, in order to make you feel small. These humans, with money, are just humans, with money. They're not big evil monsters out to bite your ass and rip your wallet off. Most folks who could be out there flexing and being intimidating, are not. It's usually someone who's convinced themselves they're small out there flexing and being a menace. They always pick on what they perceive as, big.
That whole good vs evil, big vs small, left vs right, up vs down, coke vs pepsi; it doesn't make any sense in an arena where you're free to be in charge of yourself and that's it. It's you against the world and the world isn't out to hurt you; it's what gave you life. Can choose to walk down a path or make your own. Step on a thorn; pull it out. No need to sit there yelling at your shoes or demanding to speak to a manager when there isn't one.
Sometimes I think society forgot how to live like that; never learned. Everything amazing is handed to us, taken for granted, and when there's a problem it's the fault of someone else; or so it seems.
Be real.
Navigating a blockchain social environment can be the most grueling task for any bullshitter. That trail of breadcrumbs starts turning into a loaf of bread pretty fast. Only a matter of time before they get sliced and toasted.
Don't even try to be perfect. Just be real. Making mistakes; normal. Good days, bad days; normal. Happy, sad, angry; all normal. If it's coming from a good place there should be no need to sweep it under the rug. Just be yourself. Some will like you, others won't; normal. That's life. This is all life.
The good. The bad. The ugly.
Don't be afraid to ask questions.
Does my face have a name? Yes. Yorr Ragrets. First released here early November, 2020. Never explained in detail. Just added in as a character to go along with some creative writing.
What else can I tell you about it? He stands out from the darkness. That's why the black color is in the background. Sees clearly. That's why the eyes are white and full of light. Has a big red letter M on his head. Red for passion. It's hair; passion that grows. Rated M for mature. My content can be a little heavy at times but what I'm really doing is taking a shot at these control freaks and censors who like to stamp a label on your ass and blame art and artists for all the world's problems. It appears dark and demonic; as they fight their reflections. I've written about these things before, several times, several ways.
I put that character up as my avatar here the day I noticed some people were trying to cancel me. Just to rub it in...
But that's not all!
Run for the hills!
Or face your fears.
Does creating something like that make me a bad person?
It's a caricature and the original context is linked, here, from early August, 2021.
It represents those who were losing their minds during a time of darkness in this world.
Everyone by now, I'm sure, can admit, while covid and everything covid related was running/ruining our lives, the world was becoming dark. Far too much interference. The people were struggling. Some were becoming lost. One of the darkest periods in recent human memory.
Darkness does not and cannot run the world; it runs interference. So stop believing in that nonsense before you become consumed by its shadow.
Painting something that's a sign of the times is a very normal thing for an artist to be doing.
Here's the line that came before the art:
Demons being controlled by what they think are angels; on all sides.
At the time I didn't explain much else because: When have you seen a caricature come equipped with a map and description explaining every last detail?
That's not how this works. That would be like a comedian pausing between each joke to explain everything to those who didn't get it.
If you look closely at the art you'll see a small being in the middle making up the nose and eyebrows then extending up to the forehead. The arms reach out and grab what looks like horns, as if it's holding on. It's holding on to something. An idea for instance, or a thought; not letting go.
For that character it's actually holding something that only looks like horns. They represent pricks; needles. People were being pricks about needles, on both sides of the argument. Clever?
You can see the hands. That's the angel that's not an angel but some in the world were convinced is good, but as the artist, applying my thought process, it is bad, not good. Remember, it's a caricature. That fake angel represents our devices and the media tricking humans into enjoying bad news. Constantly feeding humanity nonsense and distracting society away from what's truly important in life, like having compassion for your fellow man.
Several were at odds with one another during that time period. I was annoyed.
It blends into the main character that has a big dumb smile on its face. It's happy about viewing atrocities and being told what it wants to hear. Big eyes, glued to the screen. You can see how those eyes are glued to the screen you're using to view the art, now, on your own screen, and it also represents those glued to their devices; tv, laptop, phones, etc.
Now at the time there were two factions. Just like anything; those for it and those against it.
For instance some wore masks and others hated them and thought it was stupid; some didn't wear masks and people hated them thinking they're stupid.
The art doesn't represent any particular side in all the chaos from the time period.
As the artist, applying my thought process, both sides were acting the same way. It was everyone and the division was just an illusion. It all makes up one unit, known as society, becoming demented, not noticing, and happy about it, sometimes raging; like traffic moving along a highway, staying in their lane, being pulled along in opposite directions in order to reach the destination known as nowhere.
Some people were happy if someone got sick because they didn't get the vaccine. Some people were happy if someone got sick because they took the shot. The whole thing about being happy in that context, is sick; demonic. So there's the big grin.
What triggered the entire thought process was a man who was happy to hear my dad got a blood clot and said straight to his face with a smile, "I told you so."
Hearing about that is when it hit home for me. Rather than sitting around pouting and arguing; I sat and got to work on something.
My dad injured his leg, put it off, didn't get medical attention. One day his leg ballooned up, and again he put it off. The injury caused a blood clot. The guy that was happy assumed it was the vaccine that did it. Forgot to put his media consumption habits on the backburner, snap out of it for a moment in order to have compassion for your fellow man, like things would have been, before the chaos ensued. People were forgetting how to be human. Still are.
As the artist I'm allowed to apply my opinion or thought process to my work, so I did.
That caricature shares a similar style with a few other cartoon characters I've made. Here's Belinda:
It doesn't have nearly as much depth. But that being in the middle is something like a parasite that latches onto its host, then controls it. Very basic explanation and that actually happens in nature.
There you can see how the eyes are fixated on the controller. The parasite is leading the way. It's like a visual representation of brainwash.
Now
Should I pull up another demonic-looking being I once produced, but never explained, then sit here and describe how it represents a man, who for an entire year, fucked the mother of my kids, while she sat there pretending we're a happy family and hating me for suspecting something was going on, eventually pushing me into a drunken limbo, effectively destroying whatever I had left of my life? Losing everything!
(Just being dramatic for effect!)
Is that what passes for entertainment around here?
Some may have figured out what I'm addressing, others have no clue but still learned a lot. I don't need to mention names or throw anyone under the bus.
Please realize that is just another drop in the ocean; the ocean that is me. All it does it make me grow; become stronger. I'm also afforded the luxury of being inspired. Some day I'll produce another image representing my past challenges in life, and not say a damn thing about who or what it represents. It'll look like a demon.
I'll continue to defend freedom of the arts and expression on this chain. Anyone who knows me knows I've been doing that since the start. Why? Because it's worth it.
Have a nice day.
