My name is Cj, and I like to draw. The “C” stands for Carl, which means “peasant” or “man of low birth.” My brother’s name is Mattias which translates to, “gift of god.” Lastly, my sister’s name is Dana: “powerful yet empathetic.” My mom always told my siblings: “Dana, Matti, if someone gives you a compliment, you thank them politely, then you immediately forget what they just told you; compliments are poisonous!” I never got this instruction from my mom and wondered why. When I asked her, she told me I didn’t have to worry about compliments because with a name like Carl, people would only expect mediocrity from me. My parents went through a violent divorce when I was 4. I was named after my dad, and due to specific circumstances pertaining to the divorce, my mom couldn’t tolerate having a “Carl” in the house after he left. Ever since then, I’ve been “Cj.” I use this story to introduce myself as a maker and to illustrate a driving force behind my art. Life is an entangled, unpredictable, unforgivable, terrifying, obnoxious, boring, hilarious thing that nobody asked for. My name is Cj, and I like to draw…
P.S. I’m still, technically, Carl. It costs upwards of 500 dollars to legally change your name, so please buy my art so I can stop being mediocre.