Let's Get Jordan Noir back to work!

Jordan Noir (AKA Maximum Noir) is a well know artist in the #synthwave community. He has done fabulous art for many great projects. He just recently posted a dilemma he has encountered and I felt like the #synthfam could help.

Many of us have been in a situation where something breaks and we can no longer work or do the thing we love to do. I have been in similar situations before, not being able to create because my laptop or keyboard broke. As creatives we suffer emotionally when we can't create and it can lead to health issues that can spiral out of control. Jordan needs a new iPad so he can get back to creating digital art for us all to enjoy. The goal is set for $2000 to cover the iPad, shipping and accessories and anything over that will go to 2 great charities.

Carizon community and family services. Carizon is a source of hope for our community. When children, youth, adults, couples or families face life’s challenges, Carizon programs and services provide the care and compassion to help them achieve wellness. https://www.carizon.ca

AND

Unison Benevolent Fund. Unison Benevolent Fund is a non-profit, registered music industry charity that provides counseling and emergency relief services to the Canadian music community. We are here to help professional music makers in times of hardship, illness or economic difficulties. https://www.unisonfund.ca

Jordan uses the iPad to sketch, paint and complete his digital art.

This fundraiser will cover a 12.9 inch iPad Pro with 1TB of memory and wifi as well as 2 years of AppleCare+, any small accessories Jordan may need and shipping. All excess will go to said charities (a 50/50 split) in both Jordan's name and from the synthfam.

Here is Jordan's latest post of Facebook, while he could be all out angry and totally depressed he stays 100% positive and thankful and supportive.

"Tough times and disappointments don't need to burn the world down around you. A positive message about a shitty situation. Where everybody involved is just doing what’s best for everybody involved. The project should always come before ego, the experience should be enjoyed and the friends made are to be cherished.
Bad news collaborators and clients. My studio setup is bricked, useless, lacking its main component I use to create art, as my iPad has reached the end of its life and cant be used. Any projects open right now will be on hold until i can replace it. I apologize sincerely for this inconvenience, but I also need a bit of a break to breath and pull myself back together. Ive been manically trying to figure out a way to expedite the process of replacing the iPad, this was a poor choice as I've got myself so wound up and stressed out, (not drawing for the last 2 weeks likely has a big hand in that as well) I had a bit of a freakout about something yesterday, and it's been made clear to me that I could really use a good step back for a while.

I had some pretty crushing news that really sucked, but made me give my head a shake and put me into a much better pace after the initial disappointment faded. Trickling down from the top of our scene, about something I was beyond excited to be a part of, being modified in favor of something that doesn't involve my work (and the work had already been done) .

A crushing blow for an artist looking for a big break (without doubt being on this album would've been a game changer for me , on par with getting work doing a cover in underground hip hop for sage Francis, doom or atmosphere). The last 12 hours have been a bleak affair of disappointed anger and outright jealousy. That's not who I like to be. This particular opportunity was crushed, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna die, or that I'm any less worthy or even that my work was poor. As I can objectively agree with the decision being made, it makes sense, and I wanna see my friend succeed. I would hate to see them have a weaker release based on wanting to lift me up. I had and STILL have the opportunity to work on super awesome stuff with this awesome dude. Ive been assured that even though this fell through a purpose for the work I did will be found, and other opportunities are already opening up (which are honestly a billion times more work but also a billion times cooler).I'm proud that I did work that taught me a new trick or two and all my work since then has been greatly improved based on what I learnt and the experience of working with this cool cat was a fun one. So shouldn't I still feel like a winner? The answer is yes.

This all made me think very critically about why I do what I do and what I want out of my life. I started my comic project and got into this field out of a huge adoration for a few people, people I view as legends. My goal was to get to a position where i get to work and create beautiful things with these people and bring their work/brands to a larger audience they'd never have a chance of tapping into with the way the scene is currently a self contained box of the same 4 ideas used over and over, where any effort or desire for growth is summarily thrown out. And I'd have to be an outright idiot to not recognize I've achieved that goal in spades. Somewhere along the line I got caught up in being noticed, making money and having my name mean something.

I think it's natural for artists of all types to get caught up like this, and working in entertainment, you aren't always going to get the "yes" you need or want. Rejection is part of the game we all play. It's natural to have your heart squished a bit. But ya cant let it hold you down.

So until I can afford to replace my iPad to get back to work, I'm back on ye old pencil and paper, drawing what I want to draw, writing songs and poetry. I think I've earned a few weeks of vacation, some time to breathe and remind myself every perceived failure or disappointment is only as crushing as you allow it to be. The old "closed door/open window" schtick.

Stay well my friends, collaborators and clients. Thank you so much for your support and understanding. Well be back on the horse soon.