My first drawing in 2008. Horay!

I was putting off some ideas for future drawings for a while due to the commitment to my comic, but I decided to try to at least do one image relating to a feeling that I am experiencing at the moment. This image deals a lot about maturity.

Sensitive people are fragile. What wouldn't hurt someone who not a sensitive being would hurt one who is. I somewhat believe that what sensitive people fear most is life itself. Life is unpredictable and you can see what it has in store for you in the future, so you are now and then afraid about looking behind the corner and see what life has in store for you. Verbal assaults also does damage to their ego and to their mental self. Some people take advantage of that in others and constantly hurt them just to feel powerful about themselves or they pick a fight with a sensitive person and smile in victory.

A lot of people are afraid to show their emotions in public now due to the fact that they could easily be hurt and exposed. They hide it and only expose it when they are alone or in a place where no one can see them. Because of this, they really have no one to turn to, to talk to and to show them who they really are and how they really feel. They only rely on talking to their stuff animal or the wall or even themselves. Many do successfully hide their true selves form others and try to blend in with everyone, acting the complete opposite of who they are, just to try to make friends and hoping to find someone just like them.

Stuff animals. This is just not a "Furry thing" at all. I have some friends who have small stuff animals and they are not Furries ( or even know the term at all ). When we were young, we had small stuff animals that we would carry around like a security blanket. We rely heavily on that stuff animal to keep us safe and keep us company when no one else is around. As we get older, we slowly stop relying on stuff animals and slowly branch out to other people, hoping they would be our "stuff animals" who would drink and eat with us. But sometimes, we continue to cling on to something that we feel safe around. When we are sad and alone, we would hug our pillow or a stuff animal, just to try to find some comfort of hugging something. It is like we cant get rid of our child side no matter what we do because that side is connected to our sensitive side. Getting rid of that would make us somewhat dull and emotionless.

Showing that you are a sensitive person is a risk. Its exposing who you really are and you are open to any kinds of attacks. Everyone knows my work and how connected to emotions they are. I wouldn't be able to do any of these images without exposing how sensitive I am. Some people who are as honest as me wont stab me behind the back, and other just slowly take advantage of me because “they can”. However, by exposing myself like this, I have to learn how to toughen up without being hurt. I have to expect that people have their own views and there are those out there who love to hurt people and talk trash just because they think they can get away with it.

All types of Artists are sensitive people. We live off of comments and supporters and are attacked by rude critics and art haters. What we draw is our own view of how we see the world. Some images can be welcoming and others can draw people away. We can also convey messages that speak out louder than words and also tell everyone something that they are completely unaware of.

All in all, sensitive people are like children, no matter how old they are. Age really has nothing to do with the fact that you can still act like a child. Age is only connected to our physical body, not our mind or spirit. Our mind and spirit has no age. We are what we are, but many don’t see that. If you are crying in the middle of the street and you look like you are 30 years old, people will give you weird looks and tell you to grow up. Just telling a sensitive person to GROW UP takes a negative toll on them because, in many ways, THEY CANT grow up and act like other around them. They are not ready...that is not who they are. They want to feel nurtured and excepted without taking any attacks. But that cannot be helped, sad to say. People will judge others no matter what and there will always be attacks, verbal or physical from a sensitive person or by someone else.

Continue to be yourself no matter how old you are. I am not saying that you be 50 and still cry like an infant in public, but try to nurture yourself, your spiritual and mental side. It is hard work doing it alone ( believe me, I know ), but slowly you can do it. There is no rush and no time limit to it.

There is so much more I wish to say, but I fear I might say the wrong thing. Everyone has their own view on sensitivity that there is no right or wrong answer, just your own.

- Ookami Kemono

StillYoung © 2008 Alex Cockburn