V. H. King's Ink

I started this website with one goal: to share my writing and art with as honesty.  A simple but ambitious goal, especially with my tendency toward always wanting to give my absolute very best.  Despite my anxiety to consistently put forth polished works, I’ve had to learn how to give myself room to grow.  As I turn the corner of life’s latest adventures, I’m once again considering how I want to approach my goals.

How do I uphold that primary goal, of sharing my work with authenticity and transparency?

It starts with two things:

refusing to give up, and a willingness to try new things.

Let’s do it!

 

About My Health…

I’ve not been able to keep up with posting stories as often as I had hoped.

Even before my brain tumor was discovered, I was hard-pressed to find time to draft posts.  I was getting by on what felt like less than the bare minimum, and I didn’t like that.  My mind felt disorganized–piles of post-it notes and scratch paper littering every possible surface, but no space to sit down and make something of all those prompts.

These days, my capacity has me on an even tighter leash.  I’ll admit, I’m still overworking myself.  Just keeping up with appointments and paperwork is too much, but I need my creative endeavors now more than ever.  My reading comprehension has declined since surgery.  My ability to write is also greatly limited, especially writing by hand.

I’m quite literally re-learning how to read and write these days.  Three or four pages of tracing letters, one or two preschool reading books, and my brain is at its limit.  Painting and art are most accessible to me right now, but since I’m in the middle of unpacking from a move, my art stuff hasn’t surfaced.  (I know exactly where it is, I’m just not allowed to haul giant boxes up from the basement.)

It’s been extremely difficult to figure out how to continue engaging with stories and creativity when so much of it feels out of reach.

And not knowing if or when it will come back?

That’s extra scary.

About My Site…

With all that going on, why keep this site up and running?  Why work on Patreon posts? Why compile lists of even more story and project ideas?

Surgery took a lot out of me, but it didn’t take my love for stories and my deep hope of connecting with others through my art and writing.  Despite others believing I could write TV shows and movies, or become a New York Times best-seller, that was never the life I pictured for myself.  What I wanted most out of all my sketches and scribbles was that someone, someday, would find exactly what they needed from it.

Comfort, hope, challenge, healing, courage… 

I’m not just holding on to the dream of connecting with someone else through my work.  I’ve been presented with the opportunity to focus on sharing my writing and art with others.  Between this site, my Patreon, and my social media pages, I’m inviting others to engage with different ways of seeing the world, the people around them, and themselves.  Maybe that’s a lofty goal, but like I said–I’m ambitious.

Growing up, I often found myself on the outside–not just looking in, but listening.  As an adult, I find myself intentionally widening my world through the books I read, the films I watch, the music I listen to.  It’s what I’ve always done, and my work is a means to spark similar curiosity.

I don’t need comments and followers to validate my work.  I’m going to create, regardless.  Sharing my content on various platforms isn’t a marketing strategy to get a fancy checkmark next to my name.

I aim to cultivate spaces for listening to ourselves and each other; for learning things that both challenge and comfort us.

May we be surprised by what we find.

About You…

• According to Patreon, the best reward is access to content that otherwise wouldn’t be available.

I have mixed feelings about this.  On one hand, I want to show my appreciation for those who financially support me by offering something special. But what perks do my patrons find meaningful?  For most, it’s showing tangible support for a dream they also believe in. It’s more of an intrinsic reward than specific content every month.

On the other hand…I genuinely dislike money being the determining factor that gatekeeps someone’s access to stories or art that resonates with them.

• Because of both of these points, I want to make my content available on a semi-regular basis.

This summer–June, July, and August–I’m sharing my Patreon content publicly.  Not only that, but anyone can vote on what I share at the end of the month.  Starting on the 7th of each month, 3-5 options will be available on my Patreon page.  Voting runs through the 17th, with content posted on the 27th.  And then?  It’s your turn.

Each post is an opportunity for you to share with and learn from others.  What places did the post remind you of?  What experience did it call to mind?  Whose voice do you hear these words in?  Whose perspective are you looking through?

• I’ve thought about having a separate set of poll and content posts specifically for public access.

Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure that’s outside of my current capacity. I’m pushing my luck already, with three posts a month–but the purpose of that work is central to my livelihood. While I’m (intentionally) limiting my plans for public posts to the next three months, I’m also assessing what will be feasible for me in the future.

As it is, I’m still juggling quite a few appointments and paperwork deadlines.  As those  tasks hopefully become less frequent (and less demanding!), I’ll have more opportunities to explore what comes next.  For now, I ask of you this: share a little bit of your world with me.  Send me an email, comment on a post, find me on social media @vhweirdink–you know the drill.  I’m excited to hear from you.

Connecting with others through my creativity is my lifeline.

I’m leaning into the deep joy that stories bring,

and my excitement to connect with others,

the best way I know how.