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I feel you Aaron. There's times I wish people knew the struggles writers and artists go through. You can work for twelve hours a day, six days a week, pour your heart out into what you do, and at the end of the day still get no love. Sometimes when you check your e-mail it seems like all you hear is people bitch - "Your shit stinks" or "Fuck your website" or "I've seen better magazines/reviews/writing than yours - why do you bother?"
Why do we bother? I think you know the answer Aaron. I see the pain in your post though and hear you saying "Fuck the heartbreak, fuck the bullshit, I don't want to deal with it." I've wanted to throw it away before but I always seem to come back. Even when nobody appreciates it and nobody gives a fuck. I'm still driven to create. It's an internal drive you can't turn off; whether you paint, make music, write novels, or dance. It's almost like a curse - once you get the bug, you just can't stop. And you don't stop UNTIL the shit is right; the way you want to present it to the world, even if they hate it.
Just so you know though, there's a lot of people who do appreciate what you do. They may not be as loud or as vocal as the naysayers and the hatemongers but we're out there - a quiet majority if ever there was one. And sometimes we should be more vocal about supporting the artists and musicians we like; which is why I think the whole Okayplayer vibe is a good thing. Like you said, people think that artists live a glamorous life - they don't realize that a rapper like Tame One can have gold singles, gold albums, videos on MTV, do tours overseas, and at the end of the day still live at home with moms. I know Tame could have said "fuck it" countless times when he went solo and nobody was checking for him but that urge to create just kept him making music anyway. And you Aaron, keep doing strips; and I keep running websites and writing reviews. We do it anyway. So even if the quiet majority won't say it to you we should as creative people say it to each other - I love your work and I love what you're doing. And I mean that. The Boondocks is something special because it wasn't "planned" and it isn't "developed" and it's not "polite"; it's popularity resonates with it's authenticity just like any good art should.
If you quit, it's aight. Sometimes the only way to make good art is to start over fresh. Sometimes when you burn out quitting is the only way to SURVIVE. But speaking for the quiet majority, sincerely, I hope you don't plan to quit anytime soon. I love The Boondocks and I'm going to keep on loving it as long as you keep making it; and that's because it's your vision. Don't let that change no matter who beefs with you or who tries to fuck it up.
Peace, Flash
-- "They say I look and sound funny but I don't be carin" --> The Imperial Biz Markie Webmaster: www.RapReviews.com Bust a rhyme! http://www.rhymerator.com/
--- PLEASE DIRECT E-MAIL TO dj.flash@pobox.com Webmaster: www.OHHLA.com and www.RapReviews.com COMING SOON: www.NintendoArchive.com
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