Jake Marley does stuff

ART WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY AND IT WILL MAKE THE WORLD HAPPY

I’m going to relate some personal info in an attempt to explain why art is the key to all hapiness

The last year or so has been crazy. I met the girl of my dreams and she helped me finish my graphic novel in time to hand a copy of it to the members of one of my favorite bands. I was an extra in The Dark Knight Rises, I got to stand just a few feet away from Chris Nolan and Tom Hardy and watch them make a movie id been yearningdying to see. More importantly I got to see Tom Hardy in full Bane get up, in the flesh. I got to have a full on conversation with Billy Dee Lando Colt 45 Williams, he told me how sexual working on Return of the Jedi was and I got to tell him how I thought he would’ve made a much better Two Face than Tommy Lee Jones, that was magical. I also had a very brief and awkward conversation with the little brother from a Christmas Story, the one with all the jackets. I also met Anthony Daniels, the guy who played C3PO. I met Academy Award nominated editor Douglas Crise, editor of Babel, Go, Good Night and Good Luck, and Harmony Korine’s latest flick Spring Breakers. I also got to see about a half hour of Spring Breakers played right out of Doug’s Avid. I met some other cool people, Boston clothing designer Johnny Cupcakes, Jason Mewes, I got to sit in a room with Kevin Smith for three hours, and I finally got to have a quick talk with Justin from Anti-Flag about the comic book I handed him at Warped Tour the previous year. The comic I wrote, drew, and inked with my girlfriend. He hugged me and told me he loved it. Instead of badgering the guy with questions I ran out of the club and cried in the parking lot, the first time in my life that I ever cried tears of joy. To know that a band I’ve loved and followed since middle school dug something that I made, if even for a moment, is best feeling I’ve ever known.

And really that’s what’s made the past year or so such an amazing experience. The fact that my art has exploded out of me like never before. I finished a thirty page graphic novel, countless scripts, short stories, and essays. I finally sold my soul to art school, and despite the financial aspect of that sucking, I now have access to a smorgasbord of video equipment. I’ve made some really awesome comedy skits with some really cool people, I’ve harassed bigot homophobic protesters with my camera, and just recently I made the most beautiful music video with/for my girlfriend. Even here on Tumblr I find happiness posting my doodles and being able to share my thoughts with the handful of people who like/reblog my stuff. 

I’m not trying to boast in writing this post, really I just want to be grateful for everything. I’ve spent so much time hating my life, loathing everyone and everything, and just feeling really sad and lonely all around. I’ve spent months indoors in front of computer without showering, without calls from anyone, my only real friend was my cat. First world problems yeah, but depression and loneliness still suck. I think what I’m getting at is that no matter how much everything can seem awful and hopeless, you have to realize the potential every one alive has. You can find yourself face to face with your heroes, you can find some one to fall in love with, you can find yourself somewhere far away from home, somewhere far better then home. Just pour your heart into something you love. Whether it’s videos, drawing, music, writing, carpentry- find the art that makes you happy and just put everything you have into it. It’s probably cliche advice at this point but it’s so fucking true. Smoking weed and playing x-box will ruin your life, wouldn’t you rather smoke weed and design x-box games. Reading books is fun, but writing them is far more fun. Chances are if there’s something you love doing then there is probably a way to make that your job in one way or another.

I once had an article I wrote for Cracked.com make it on their main page, it got 150,000 plus views and I was like holy shit I’m internet famous. And then the next day no one cared about me. My other articles still didn’t really have that many views and I felt really discouraged. But I kept at it and eventually over time the views on said articles have climbed up into the thousands, one article even has 11,000 views. And that’s the really cool thing about the internet. When you make art and put it on the internet for free, it doesn’t matter if no one looks at it initially, eventually over the time the people who are looking for it will find it. Your fanbase is out there, it could take months, years- someone will find what you’ve made and love it.

So what I’m saying is that I’ve had the greatest year and a half of my entire life and I owe that happiness to my art. I was so lonely and so depressed and in the last year I met the girl I want to marry because I needed help finishing my comic book and I heard she could draw, I moved to the city and got away from the middle of nowhere I hated so much, all in an attempt to further pursue creating art. Every good thing in my life that I am genuinely grateful for is related to my art in one way or another. I’ve wanted to make movies since second grade when I realized Indiana Jones wasn’t a legitimate career choice- and now that I’m finally learning how to make movies I’m happier than I could ever be. Art will make you happy, art will take you places, art is the key.