Opportunity and Leaps of Faith

Hey awesome readers of the internet! It has been a while since I've last posted an entry to this blog. My apologies for not keeping this thing as updated as I do my YT channel. I am doing my best to think of topics to expand on here. The problem is that when I do I am waaay too tired to sit down and type. LOL

But now focusing on the topic of this post. Lately I have been very fortunate this month of October. I have been blessed with the opportunity to promote my works as an artist, musician, and advocate. I by no means wish to "brag" about what I have been doing or will do... It's just that I don't know how to feel about people asking me, telling me that they want me to be part of what they are working on.
First of all if you have watched my recent video (link for your convenience) you will know of the things I did this past weekend in Phoenix. That is just the first thing that happened this month. I was also contacted a month ago to perform at a banquet event honoring our Veterans of Southern Arizona. This will be my first performance in over half a year. And the cherry on the top (of which I am only disclosing very little detail) has been that I was recently contacted by ***** ***** from ******* and now I am planning a weekend trip to ********** next month for a video project!This person sent me a message last week and I honestly was shocked and in disbelief that he had sent me such an email. It wasn't until we had talked over a Skype call that it felt actually real. :)
I have not felt this good about myself in quite some time. Although I am not the type of person to feel BAD about myself, receiving these opportunities and having these doors open up for me in the world of what I love to do, has made me feel more confident as a creator. I never expected my art, music, or YouTube content to really draw that much attention. The only goal I have through my work is awareness of diversity and sharing what I have learned from my experiences.

This has also caused me to do some thinking about my future and how serious I should start taking myself as an artist and YouTuber. I have always known that I have had a passion to create things and to teach others as well as connect with others. My current position of employment is also an achievement that I am proud to have accomplished at such a young age. But on the other hand, working in this profession has made me reconsider my advancements in pursuing a higher degree. I love my job and the people I am privileged to work with.  But this is also something that I know I do NOT want to continue doing for long....
Right now my feelings are of high hopes. Hope for my future as an artist, activist, musician, creator, collaborator..... My feelings also lay in uncertainty. I don't know which moves would be the "smart" ones, however I DO know what I would like to accomplish. The journey toward my goals and satisfactions is what is the unknown keeping my mind at a crossroads.
The best I can do now is take my leaps of faith, hoping that I land somewhere stable and happy. I am truly thankful to each and every one of my supporters. And if you are one of those people reading this, I will take this moment to tell you that you are appreciated. Please say hello to me and introduce yourself. I don't like to concept of "fans", I love the notion of friendship. I don't wish to just have you learn and hear what I have to say, I wish to also learn from YOU and listen to YOUR story!

Thanks for reading,
JD

I'm Not A Writer

Hey there, so I guess it would be appropriate for me to let you know a little of who I am. My name is... well what I go by and what most know me as, is "JD". It's something that has stuck with me since middle school because there were two of us with the same name (different spelling) so because of my last name, the music teacher decided that I would be "JD".  I've used it ever since and RARELY use the name on my ID and birth certificate. :)
What do I do? I do a lot of things, mostly revolving around creativity. I started middle school marching band and have loved music ever since! Although my first instrument was the trumpet, my true passion was the piano. I have now been playing for seven (going on 8 years). I do performances here and there, not exactly a professional performer, but I do enjoy playing and composing. Maybe we can talk more about my music history later. I also like to paint (another thing I started taking seriously in middle school), run, cook, and teach.
Why did I start a blog in the first place if I am claiming not to be a writer??? (see title above) Honestly, I (as the name of my blog says) am a minority of the minority. I carry with me many labels. (i.e. male, YouTuber, musician, teacher, artist...) but also other labels such as; Native American, albino, visually impaired/legally blind, and I am also a member of the LGBTQ community. Quite a bit of minority groups I identify with...
Now yes, as mentioned I am a YouTuber. Most of my videos started because I wanted to talk about my visual condition and my albinism. I did not come across many blind or low vision people on YouTube so I decided to talk about the things that annoyed me, things that needed to be heard, and just to share my story with whomever wanted to listen. Not too long after I started my channel I was also getting ready to come out to my friends and family. This was also during the time I began watching more and more gay YouTubers. The first video I uploaded talking about my sexual identity was for the ItGetsBetter Project. Since then I've done topics related to gay issues, my experiences on being visually impaired, and more recently about my cultural heritage. My channel is not set for a specific group of individuals to watch, whoever wishes to watch, listen, learn, and contribute is welcome to my channel. 
Now, my friends tell me that I am an articulate person. I understand why they see this quality in me. But I have really found myself not to be the strongest of writers. I enjoy talking (laughs)... I can guarantee you that a conversation with me can go on forever. :) But lately I have been thinking that I honestly want to say so much more. And the amount of work that goes into my videos, can take quite a while to put together. Especially when I am a person striving for a certain level of "perfection". I guess it's just the artist in me. I tend to be picky about how I present my projects. 
So that is where this blog comes in. I have more I want to share and more that I want to discuss with others that wish to join the conversation. Like my YouTube channel I will talk about all of these identities that I claim for myself. My ethnic background, my disability, my creativity, my genetic condition, my sexual orientation, and even dive into other experiences that spark certain thoughts. I believe that creativity and learning stems from sharing. This is what I have to share. Will you join me?
Thanks for reading ALL of these words. I will try my best to keep this thing filled with a variety of topics important to me. If I really start to like it, I will keep you updated should I come up with a schedule. Thanks again!
JD