I came to the Florida when I was 9. Orlando,Florida to me was a magical place to live just because I knew that Disney World was the capital; so I thought. haha.!
Like every child I also wanted to go to Disney and I wanted to go to the Magic Kingdom because I loved the movies from Disney. My parents would find me on the kitchen table or anywhere in the house drawing.
I just loved it because it gave me a sense of power and the ability to create alien worlds from other galaxies.
At the time it was an amazing and incredible feeling but sadly enough that all started to change.
As a child and a stranger to this place I felt lost and art was my way of not coping with reality.
The fact that Orlando Florida was now my new home started to sink in and I was not going back to Puerto Rico and see my friends any time soon. It was ok at first but it got lonely just because I couldn't speak English and making friends was a bit of a challenge. As years when by I grew out of being and animator and found my new love.
Drawing comic book heroes was my new love and was all I did from the age of 11 up to 18.
I was quite good at it but had no direction. As a teenager I basically lost my way and chasing girls was my distraction.
Years later at the age of 28 I got married and two years right after my son was born. We named him Jared which in the Bible means the end and the beginning. I basically had to apply that same thing to myself and put my dreams on hold again because my son was more important.
I had to provide and be a father just like my father was for me.
Sadly enough 2 years later my marriage ended.
After a couple of years I was hired as a comic book illustrator. That was my dream come true!
At the time I was working with my father in the Tile business as an installer but after the depression hit I found myself with nothing and a lot of debt.
I told my father about my new job as a comic book illustrator and he was very happy for me.
I went on to work 16 hour days illustrating stories.
I did this for 4 years and I was having a blast even though I hardly saw day light,
but hey I was working to be a successful comic book artist. After all, that was my new love... right!
One day I was told by my employer that I didn't have a job anymore.
I was in shock and pissed off and I couldn't believe that this was happening to me. I worked so hard and spend so many sleepless nights meeting deadlines.
It was then that I started to open my eyes to the cruel reality.
Working for someone else wasn't a smart thing to me anymore.
Trading time for money was getting old and very frustrating and it wasn't for me.
I loved art and still do to this day but I had to find another way to make money but from home.
Working for myself was the ideal thing to do.
I had to be my own boss, whether it was in art or any other business I wanted to do.
Now I see things in a whole different perspective.
I thank God for the opportunities he gave me to grow.
At the time I didn't think so but now I know that life is just like waiting for that perfect wave and when you see it coming, get on your surf board and ride it without any fear.
Now that I have told part of my story, because there is still more!..
I hope you can relate. Life is what we make it and problems are only opportunities for us to grow and expanding our way of thinking to new heights.
I call it...A blessing.
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