Below is the original script, written in my notes, for what would become our channel’s introductory video on YouTube

Hey there. I’m the artist you’ve never heard of. And I’m going to change that.

My father always said you can learn a lot about a man from the books he keeps on his shelves, so let’s start there. The first thing you’ll notice is that I don’t actually keep books on my shelves. That’s where I like to keep my action figures, my music, a few copies of my favorite films like The Prince of Egypt and Blade Runner, as well as Christopher Nolan’s complete collection of works. There’s a Master Chief helmet I wish I owned and several posters of my own design that I definitely own, all surrounding a couch because, I’m just gonna be real, it’s comfier than my desk.

Being real is, of course, the reason I’m here today. Up until now, my online presence, especially through my professional accounts, has been…impersonal. Being honest, I’ve struggled with presenting myself as an artist, a problem I feel like none of my contemporaries are facing. Every style of expression has already been done to death twice, so how do I stand out? According to the internet, the answer is “I don’t.” There are hundreds of artists out there floating in the same ocean, battered by waves of unoriginality. And hence, you’ve never heard of me.

Let’s change that today, shall we?

I became an artist at the age of five when, after seeing the behind-the-scenes of the Lord of the Rings, I began to pursue filmmaking. That fine art, as it turns out, requires more than a single man, so I pursued instead the goals I knew I could accomplish on my own. Writing, illustration, graphic design. And I realized what I sought in filmmaking wasn’t the creation of films at all, but the telling of stories, regardless of the mediums they come in. Others found ways to convey narrative in dance or music, or even food, but I found stories most powerful in another form. In pictures.

Enter: the comic book. Where I once thought only superheroes and zombies owned a stage, I found worlds tucked within pages I hadn’t ever realized were written. The works of Marvel and DC captivated my childhood like anyone else’s, but their storylines eventually led me to the worlds of Jeff Smith and Kazu Kibuishi. Graphic novels taught me how one man could hook you into a sprawling world capable of capturing your full attention, and with that inspiration I began to draw.

In 2015 I gifted a limited run of my first full-length comic to family and close friends, a small victory which prompted me to start my own business, TimberW0lf Studios. I founded the studio for the purpose of creating engaging and fulfilling stories that balanced along that thin line of realism and hope. I wanted to show grit without reveling in gruesomeness and offer escape without downplaying reality. This is when you could say I started my professional career as an artist. Since then, I’ve worked with colleges, sports companies, even partners with Blizzard Entertainment. I grew comfortable calling myself an illustrator, but a thought nagged at the back of my head. (Are centaurs insects?) Not that voice. (What does being an artist really mean?) Yeah, that voice. Don’t get me wrong, I love illustration, and writing as well, but even after finishing hundreds of artworks and even a novel, the title of “Artist” didn’t sit right with me. And that’s when my friend Local pointed out the problem with that word.

“I honestly think both sides miss the only correct perspective, which is that A) our language failed the moment it lumped screenwriting, sculpture, videography, and interpretive dance together under the same nebulous label, and B) the sort of art that concerns me cannot be objectively graded but can at times be objectively analyzed and that’s the sweet spot where I want to exist…”

~A sane and reasonable video about Avatar: the Way of War, 45:49

That. This man gets it. We can debate forever whether I’m an artist because of skill or because of passion, but I’m an artist one way or another and if that’s the case it doesn’t just apply to the illustrative kind. Cinematography, novelization, screenwriting, graphic design, music, composition, interactive entertainment, virtual reality–I love it all, and it all falls into the realm of storytelling with only a little bit of creativity. Am I qualified to talk on any of those topics? Absolutely not.

So I’m going to.

If this breaks an unspoken rule, I’m just gonna have to face the consequences, because I can’t keep it bottled up anymore. That’s what this channel is about: artwork. Mostly the illustrated kind, yes, I mean I am still a professional in just one field, but I have unsolicited opinions in every other and I’m ready to speak on those as well. I’m not here to follow rules. Neither is art. So let’s do something genuinely cool, yeah? I’ll see you all on the other side of normal.

Oh and by the way, my name’s Jir0. It was a pleasure to meet you.

[Script shuffling]

Now, uh…This is where the script ends, so I don’t…Oh wait, that’s right: as mentioned, I’m an independent artist, and I was recently let off from my day job. As that’s the case, if you’re interested in getting to know me better or supporting my studio’s efforts, you can learn more about us at our website and purchase our merchandise on Redbubble and Gumroad, and our Etsy store is days away from opening.  Everything’s linked in the description, of course, and there’s a lot of cool stuff on the way, so stay tuned. Until next time, thank you so much for watching. I hope the rest of your day goes smoothly.

God bless ya.