I need everyone's help - friends and strangers. This is for a wonderful and important cause!

My friend recently left the forum I helped to start - SpyroForum [link] - due to members heckling her. Rather than be spiteful and trying to ruin SpyroForum, she has turned her frustration into an opportunity to help a charity. The way she's handling her 'revenge' is beautiful. See, she chose to do this because the same forum that ran her out she once put her heart and soul into by doing artwork to raise money for it. Now she wants to do the same thing for this charity. By raising more money for the charity she will feel satisfied in her 'revenge'.

If you want to donate to her for this cause and receive artwork in return, read more about it here: [link] and here: [link]

I am joining her in this endeavor. I cannot draw but I can write and I am willing to do writing to raise money. These are not commissions. They are thank-yous for helping a good cause. I will not make even a single penny off these writings. Every cent you send to me will be passed on. I will have the joy of being able to write and create (my favorite thing in the world), you will a personalized writing as a thank-you, and we both get the satisfaction of helping a great cause!

All donations will go to RSDS research funding. RSDS is a medical disorder which causes the patient to experience serious pain in part or all of their body. There is no cure and little can be done for the sufferers.

Also, RSDS is usually fatal. asked *Razzek to donate to that charity. ~PaintedWolfess is in and out of the hospital, herself.

I previously tried to make money off my writing to help pay for college, etc. I spoke of this in the journal entry 'Will Write For Cash'. I had no responses. I hope that since this is for a selfless act more will respond.

No amount is too small.

I believe am a fairly good writer. I have won several contests through school including one where I was one of the top ten student poets for Michigan-Wisconsin-Illinois out of tens of thousands of entries. I got $100 for that piece. My best payment yet!

I have never sold my work before so I am new at this. Basically, I offer two services:

A)Random Works: You provide me with an "idea cloud" that is a group of words or ideas that I will then form into a piece for you. Idea clouds can consist of: a name/title (optional), a verb (necessary), and 1 to 5 noun(s) (necessary but the number is up to you) or 1 to 5 adjective(s) (necessary but the number is up to you). That's a minimum of 3 words but a maximum of 12 words. Or you can send me an image that I will then write a poem about based on how it impacted me.

B) Specific Works: You tell me exactly what you are looking for.

I can assist in other forms of writing, too. Slogans, advertising and the like. Although I plan to focus on poetry, we can work out deals for other types of works (excluding short stories).

$1 is the starting donation amount. I think that is a fair price. Writing a poem can take my anywhere from a few hours to a few days considering how creatively stimulating the idea is. Some artists charge $5 for their most basic pencil sketches, so I based my pricing off that.

You are probably wondering "why pay this guy to write for me?"

There are many uses for having your own poems - maybe you would like one for a friend or loved one but can't get the words out yourself, maybe you would just enjoy one to read based on your own interests. There's some other reasons, too. The crafty can figure those out.

I can write any sort of poem, sonnets, couplets, haikus, you name it. Except for epics - they are another story!

Here is a sample of my commission work (actually, my first commission) here:

_______________________________________

Written for Tiffani Byers. 10/4/08

Commission Request:

Name: Amber
Verb(s): surgery
Noun(s): knife, rose
Adjective(s): sweet, painless, delicate

"The Last Table"

How subtle is the scalpel upon one’s broken flesh?
In surgery, do we allow ourselves to become but dolls being fixed?
Why does man insist on always being cured, defects forgotten?
A delicate rose does not ask for dropped petals to be restored.

I admit I do not know the answers to my own ponderings.
My sweet Amber is dying but my mind is wandering.
Is it wrong to try to save what seems was being taken away by a force?
Perhaps that knife should not try to fix, but rather end her course.

What am I saying, friend? She’s dead!
Yet, her tragedy must always replay in my head!
Why, you ask of this fanatic?
It’s simply this: if she could not be painless in her last hours, than neither can I in all my rest.

_______________________________________

I accept payment through Pay-Pal. My e-mail is nealpatten@gmail.com

Every donation goes to the RSDSA.

Please consider donating to this cause and helping spread the word.

If you can't donate, at least take the time to tell another dA member about this endeavor or to write a journal about it. It all helps!

Oh, and if trust is an issue I don't have any solution for that. *Razzek could attest to my integrity but there isn't much else I can say. I am going to do what I say so if you can have faith in humankind, than please donate.

Hello!

I know deviantART sees a good amount of commissions for art, but I’m not too sure how many people (if any) request writings. I’m not an artist but I’m certainly a writer so that’s why I decided to start offering poetry as commissions.

I believe am a fairly good writer. I’ve won several contests through school including one where I was one of the top ten student poets for Michigan-Wisconsin-Illinois out of tens of thousands of entries. I got $100 for that piece. My best payment yet!

I have never sold my work before so I’m new at this. Basically, I offer two services:

A)Random Works: You provide me with an ‘idea cloud’ – that is a group of words or ideas that I will then form into a piece for you. Idea clouds can consist of: a name/titke (optional), a verb (necessary), and 1 to 5 noun(s) (necessary but the number is up to you) or 1 to 5 adjective(s) (necessary but the number is up to you). That's a minimum of 3 words but a maximum of 12 words. Or you can send me an image that I will then write a poem about based on how it impacted me.

B) Specific Works: You tell me exactly what you’re looking for.

I can assist in other forms of writing, too. Slogans, advertising and the like. Although I plan to focus on poetry, we can work out deals for other types of works (excluding short stories).

As of right now, I’m going to be charging $5 a work. I think that’s a fair price. Writing a poem can take my anywhere from a few hours to a few days considering how creatively stimulating the idea is. Some artists charge $5 for their most basic pencil sketches – so I based my pricing off that.

You’re probably wondering “why pay this guy to write for me?”

There are many uses for having your own poems – maybe you’d like one for a friend or loved one but can’t get the words out yourself, maybe you’d just enjoy one to read based on your own interests. There's some other reasons, too. The crafty can figure those out.

I can write any sort of poem – sonnets, couplets, haikus – you name it. Except for epics – they are another story!

I accept payment through Pay-Pal. My e-mail is nealpatten@gmail.com

If you are seriously considering this, then drop me a line by Private Message or e-mail. I can send you a sample of my work and discuss what you’d like done for you.

I do not feel comfortable posting my full writings publicly so e-mails or PM’s of interest only.

Here's some excerpts of my work so you can see what I do.

~~~~~~
The following selections are excerpts of larger works:

For These Are The Secrets That Word Weavers Craft
[Children’s Poem]
>>>
Witches cackling in the night,
Eerie ghosts gaunt and white.

Flying pigs,
And talking mice.

Even scary monsters,
Secretly nice.

A boy that could live inside your shoe,
And a friendly giant sipping stew.

Mimes, jokers and harlequins,
Sometimes haunted wayside inns.

…

Don’t be shy,
Come, come my friend,
Your adventures will never end,
When you read a book.
<<<
________

Mindless:
A Young Girl’s Dream
[Fantasy Poem]

>>>
A little girl lay sleeping,
In her bed so soft,
And upon this came three of Nod’s reaping,
Down hastily from their loft.

Queen Mab - Chariot, gnat and all,
Morpheus whizzing on his cloud so tall,
Sandman running – sack slung,
The race for dreaming had begun.
<<<
________

Sweet Senescence
[Interpretive Poem]

>>>
I began my passage early at dawn,
Invigorated, lucid and ready,
Assuming my voyage would be long
and my course ahead steady.

The early hours were grey – a troubling weight,
Yet stirrings follow – quotidian blossoms of life,
Thus the misty morn meets its abate,
Now torrid afternoon comes, struggle and strife.
<<<

________

You can also see a sample of my commission work (actually, my first commission) here:

[link]

~~~~~~

I’m doing this as my current job as a park manager is ending at the end of this month due to the onset of winter. To be able to focus on studying in school, I’m not picking up a winter part-time job. Commissioning seemed like a safe alternative.

I hope some people will consider this a worthy investment. I look forward to working with you.

Thanks!

The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon looks amazing. So, to prepare for it, Spyrorocks has prepared for you a countdown on behalf of all of us at SpyroForum wishing you some happy gaming next month.

Will it make the days feel longer or shorter?

If you're as pumped as we are and want to see the countdown live to the [American] release, here's our treat for you:

[link]

Don't forget you can talk about the game at our Spyro forum:

[link]

or Spyro chatroom:

[link]

I haven't written a journal in a long time. Maybe because no one really reads my journals. But I had to share my excitement. A few months ago I began to see art from something called the Totoro Forest Project Auction. Basically, it took some of the finest artists alive today from Pixar, DreamWorks, Disney, and many other places (not just animation houses) and had them draw art inspired by the famous film My Neighbor Totoro.

[link]

If you haven't seen this film, seriously check it out. It's by Hayao Miyazaki - the finest animator in history, in my humblest of opinions.

The art was not only auctioned but collected into a book to raise money to save the very forest that inspire the magical woods seen in the film.

I was intrigued by the art, but when I saw this post:

[link]

at /film I knew I had to get it. By chance I hopped on over to the official site for the book yesterday to see when it was coming out. It was coming out TODAY!

Well, it said the book would go on sale by 12 p.m.

After school I bee-lined to the computer and bought it.

It's my $47 indulgence:

*Featuring full color images of 184 beautiful pieces of artwork for Totoro Forest Project.
-
*Each artwork carefully “spot varnished!”
-
*184 plates and 224 pages, soft cover with gate folds and perfect bound, 8″ x 10″
-
*Forward by John Lasseter
-
*Message artwork by Hayao Miyazaki
-
*Edited by Karen Paik
-
*Designed by Xiaoqing Wang and Leslie Sun
-
*High quality recycled paper with soy-based inks—extra attention to the eco aspect of this project!

...totally worth it, in my opinion.

And I'm glad I got it. It's already sold out:

[link]

Just thought I'd share my excitement. Can't wait for it. Should be here in a week!

Okay, so maybe you've seen Panic! at the Disco in posters or maybe in the stores. Possibly you have their CD (A Fever You Can't Sweat Out). Whether you love them or hate them you can't deny the type of images they use in posters aren't unique in art style. If you think I'm crazy for liking them well that's you. I like their music but the most intriguing thing is their art choices for dress and advertising. From now on, I shall call them P!@tD to save time. So anyways, here is one of their posters:



[link]



I love how the woman's dress becomes a segment of eye from a face and then turns into what looks like a royal court of Victorian women! What is this art style called? What's the whole idea of this? I think this style of art, dress and culture should be given its own label. I really do. I mean we have the Goths, emos, punks, skaters…why can't this art styling have its own label as well?



Here is another piece by them, with roots protruding from lips to form the words "lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off":



[link]



I really think anyone who dresses like a P!@tD member with cummerbunds, arm garters, sequin ties, top hats, white gentlemen gloves, lined vests, neck wraparound frills etc. etc. should have their own defining genre. I don't think they are emo; emo is like darker clothes and tighter clothes…it is known as the non-satanic Goth. Well I know Goths aren't satanic and the array of emo clothes goes beyond that description above but my point is P!@tD's way of dress should be given its own name and that name should be integrated into culture like all the other names (yuppie, jock, geek, prep, emo, Goth, etc.)



I didn't have the chance to see them perform live in Chicago with another band I like - Jack's Mannequin, however I heard their shows are just overflowing with these styles of dress and showmanship.



If you agree that this art and dress style should be given its own name, leave me a comment. If you have an idea for the name, too I'd love to see it. If you like P!@tD tell me. Also, if you have any other examples of this art please post a link!



That's my thought of the day,



Neal



P.S. Here is another example; it is a wood grain-style pamphlet for a showing of Romeo and Juliet I went to:



[link]