This new Mask Off design tugs pretty close to my heart strings for a ton of reasons.
It's taken me a long to time to get used to having my mask off.
Just being me.
For the longest time It felt pretty abnormal and awkward.
Coming from being one of the best football players in the state of Arizona in High School and then that leading into a D1 full ride scholarship at The University of Nevada.
Jock Football player turned Artist designer is an awkward thing.
When football ended for me and I moved back home and started doing art and people thought I was crazy. "What happened to Tim" hahah "He get hit in the head too many times?" "So you paint now?" NO ONE knew why I was doing what I was doing.
It felt like having my mask off bothered people. Like I wasn't supposed to be doing me. It felt like everyone wanted me to put the mask back on. Everyone wanted me to just conform.
Taking your mask off is uncomfortable.
Committing to the raw, authentic, unique person you were designed to be is the hardest thing you can commit too. It's never comfortable. BUT It gets easier the longer you keep your mask off.
I remember when I first got engaged to my wife now Britta. I was living out of my car & house hopping for places to sleep and serving at a local restaurant with like $20 in my bank account.
I felt like a failure. Mr. Football who should have played in the NFL now living in his car selling paintings for $50 and serving at a restaurant. Engaged with no money. Once had all of the support and now nothing.
But the fire burning inside of me kept burning off my mask. I just could live with myself not being me. Even if that meant broke and no place to call home and no real life "plan" figured out.
Were all going to fail. You can't escape it. If you're not failing now then life is just preparing you for the next failure.
It's inevitable.
But what we can control is who we are when we fail and how we react when we fail. So shit why not just fail and go down as the best you.
Mask off
Mask off
Mask off
So I've priced this design at $18 a lot cheaper than what I normally sell merch for because this is someone thing I want everyone to have.
Wether you're a woman fighting for a position in a work place thats loaded with dudes who can't seem to see how valuable you are or a kid who feels like their parents are trying to create you into their twin and don't seem to recognize your true calling in life. Whatever your reason is for having the mask you have on I hope you get this shirt and you rock the crap out of it and every time you wear it or look at it in your closet that you're reminded that your life is better with your mask off. Even when it doesn't seem to make sense. And even when everyone keeps telling you to put it back on.
Mask off
Mask off
Mask off
Get your Shirt HERE
PS. I'm not a writer so sorry to all you grammar lovers. I'm sure this was a mess. Please forgive me. I'll get better someday. Actually probably not. haha
Thank you for sharing your story! I think there’s a little bit of all us in your story. At least for me anyway! Making a decision to move from NJ to CA was “mask off” moment for me. Doesn’t sound like much, but it really was!!! I had to live for me! Time heals all wounds! Keep doing YOU!
This is awesome. I love how you encourage people from a hundred different angles. Your PS is the best. Your mask is totally off when you write, no apologies necessary. Thank you for being you.
Sharon
July 24, 2018
Great article-the world needs more people talking, sharing and relating like this. Thank you.