the Crip Guy

I know it's been a while but I have been writing. Some of the stories are pretty depressing and I want to make them mean something. Sometimes the worst parts of life can be used for something good. I love you all very much and know you are not alone in the suck. I hope this means something to someone. It’s a Halloween tutorial post/my Halloween costume! First, this tutorial is from @genevievesdesignstudio it’s an animated ghost. I think it turned out cute except for one mistake. It’s possible to do this tutorial using the cheapest Wacom tablet and about an inch of hand movement, I checked. You’re welcome.  Now back to my costume. It’s been many years since I needed to dress up for a Halloween party (sad already?).  I don’t like going to things by myself and I think it’s hard to find a group of people to hang out with. Between starting families, having careers, and other adventures it’s hard to get together. And not to pull the cripple card but it’s even harder when you add a disabi

Most of you have already read this but, I like to put all of this in one place. It's weird looking back at this time in my life. My body was stronger back then and able to breathe on my own. I was heartbroken during that last year at camp and dealing with some big questions. I was unsure about starting college in the fall but hopeful that I could make something of myself. I looked forward to the person I could become, the memories I would make, and the people I would meet. I have some fun stories from back in my college days. Also, I experienced the worst year of my life during this time (I will tell you later). That last year at camp I was truly happy. Anything was possible and I would fight for a future that I could be proud of. I didn't understand it at the time but camp is like a giant middle finger to sickness. Sometimes the only way to fight is to enjoy your life. Life can still be fun, meaningful, filled with purpose, and heartbreakingly beautiful. You don't have to

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! I’m still working on my next blog posts. Chris and Mike, love part 2, and what would it be like to be a dad? Those last two might be conflicting ideas but we will see. This will be a mini post. I did an art tutorial from  @genevievesdesignstudio . It’s simple but, I think it turned out cute. Alright onto the rest of it. I have never had a romantic Valentine’s Day, I know shocker. A lot of my friends have partners and I think that is great. Life is hard and if you can find someone, I think that can make life a little better. However, I am mostly writing to the people that are having a platonic Valentine’s Day. This day might not be awesome for everyone. I want to give those people a little extra encouragement today. I think you are great! Life moves differently for everyone, and people value different things. It might not be your time yet or you might not appreciate a relationship. You’re not weird for not being in a relationship, you’re probably weird fo

No new artwork this week but I have some coming. I have a lot of projects coming up and I am still trying to balance everything. This will be my end of year and what I want to accomplish this year post. I hope this will be my biggest year yet. It doesn’t always seem fair that my body is the weakest it has ever been, but this is the year I want to accomplish more than I ever have. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this week’s post and I look forward to making consistent content, crips and non-crips (crip stands for cripple, violence is bad). Sorry, it took a while to write this end-of-year post. I had some personal stuff that distracted me a little. Also, endings and beginnings can be tough. Everything is fine now. The year is over I can’t believe how fast it went. To be honest I started this year in a pretty dark place. I stopped taking my heart medication and started writing goodbye letters to the people most important in my life (happy end-of-life letters?). After my friend’s son was born, I

  I will give a complete end-of-2022 post soon but until then here is a post about music. When I look back at the previous year, music played a huge role. I think 2022 has been my favorite year since I got my trach. Everyone one of my favorite memories has involved music. Whether it has been an orchestra in the park during a rain storm or the debut show of the Shut-Ins at FBC. Open mic nights, new bands, and a birthday. The Halloween and Christmas show. Practices at my house (I was in a dark place at the time so, sorry for being weird) and just quiet conversations. It was a year of music. Two people helped me a lot that year but I think these small moments saved my life. I think life is weird, funny, lovely, bizarre, hopeful, full of pain, and sometimes you get small perfect moments nestled in the absurdity. I hope these moments come when you most need them. I hope you use them when life is hard and unfair. I hope you don't waste it (that goes for me as well). I think that is enoug

The Crip Guy blog just reached 1000 views. I don't know if this is a big accomplishment but I am just glad someone read it. Grateful is not a good enough word for how I feel. This blog originally started as my journal during a particularly painful point in my life. It was filled with pain and loss. I used it as an emotional pressure relief valve. Eventually, this made me start to reflect on my life. I wanted to show what's it like to live with Duchenne. The painful parts and the funny, hopeful, weird, and unique parts. As a bonus, it keeps me sane. Thank you all for giving me some purpose, direction, and stability. Maybe this blog is some type of "inspiration porn" but you, crips, and non-crips inspire me just as much. It is amazing I get to share my life with you. I hope you find something important in this blog or at least enjoy the comics. Now on to the rest of the post. It’s another illustration! I hope you don’t mind. I think all my color choices are still affect

  This week is an illustration or a doodle. Sometimes I will think of the most ridiculous situations when I am bored or just for fun. This time I decided to illustrate one of these thought experiments. Do you like dolphins, jet skis, and saving people? I am 98% sure this post will not make anyone cry (It’s weird that the guy with a terminal disease has some sad stories). Growing up I had a tough time with procrastination (or right now?). Unless I was right up against a deadline, I couldn’t motivate myself to get work done. Part of it might have been due to not having the technology I needed or even knowing it existed. Helpful voice software like what I use to write my post did not exist until my senior year in high school. No one told me the tablet I used to draw and originally do schoolwork with existed until my third year in college. Until that point, I had to do most of my work in my head. I think I had some control issues if I couldn’t physically write by myself, I didn’t feel moti