Rook's Yearly Blurb:
Who is Rook?

It has been a full two years since I started this website.  At first, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it; I honestly just wanted to  screw around, earn some money from ad revenue and stuff like that (I haven't by the way). 

I thought it would be an easy way to get my art out there  and boy, was I proven wrong.  While I've always loved the arts, I have a much deeper respect for the work people put in to get their story out there---to really share who they are to the world. I want to take that step as I venture into the world with my work. It's not just about making the work. It's about me saying something to somebody that means something to them as much as it does to me. 

To start with, I'm Rook. I'm a writer from the Philippines--- A fact that I had obscured previously because I believed it didn't matter where I came from as a creator of things. I got caught up in the idea that being from somewhere and that place accepting me would take away from the effort I put into my work. But looking back, I think it would be disrespectful to the things that gave me my identity, the things that built me. I realize that claiming a place doesn't detract from any of my efforts. It just means I have a home. ( a home where I'm really bad at the native tongue) 

I love writing and I love to draw. I was never formally trained in either as I had majored in Psychology. I learned my love of drawing from constantly doodling on the back of all my test papers and my folders when I gave up on  them.  And I learned to love writing when I learned what a story was.  Stories  are such wonderful things to me. They weave reality through sound and ink and make dreams while daylight's still shining. And I think the best part is that they're attached to a person---to a life. I can't believe it took me that long to realize on my own. 

I started a new job other than the writing and the art (mostly because they don't pay). It wasn't my first choice, but I think it's important to keep balance with what you love and what you need. As much as it's nice to be a starving artist, like E.A. Poe, with the romanticism of his tragedy, I'm privileged to be given the opportunity towards a stable life. By no means am I stopping, I'm just slowing down, taking my time. I want to be able to appreciate the life that inspires this work, the people who let me be who I want to be. If you know me and you know what I do, know I love you dearly and am grateful for your support and time. And those who are getting to know me through my work, I hope you get to enjoy reading and looking at what I do. Maybe one day, I might be able to quit my job and focus on this passion. If you want to support that goal, I do have a KOFI link in my socials (shameless plug), but if you can't, then that's alright too. I'm glad to have you see me. I do stream on twitch now if you have any interest in reaching out and telling me your thoughts on my work. I'm still figuring out how to make a working comments section too. 

Respectfully,
Rook