Slow Down! A Story of Faceplanting

It was a normal Monday in June and I was on my way to the art studio. I was stressed thinking of all the tasks I had to do and was speed walking as most New Yorkers do.

To get to my studio from the subway, you need to walk under the BQE (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway). There are a lot of changes happening in this area, like a new pedestrian signal, new bike lanes, and new lane dividers. All of which should be good, right?

This is a very large street to cross, as you have 3 to 4 lanes of cars each way with an island in the middle. I was in a hurry and crossed at the new signal, but it was counting down faster than normal and the signal on the opposite side was already red. Not missing a beat, I jaywalked on the island, as my studio was on the opposite side of the street and WHAM!

I faceplanted in the middle of the street! At first I wasn’t sure how this happened. My first concern was my glasses that flew off my face, and second was that I was in the middle of the street and could get hit by a car (New Yorkers drive crazy especially around here). Thankfully, a guy who was stopped at the light helped me, and after a rest, I went to the studio and a friend drove me to the ER.

I realized I must’ve tripped over the plastic bike lane delineator, which was not there like a month prior. I was looking out for cars, not my feet! Beware of these! I had a few scrapes and a minor concussion, but I was just so thankful that my fall wasn’t worse (some of my friends have horror stories). I was carrying a large bag with a coat and other things in it that mostly broke my fall. I could’ve broken my nose, teeth, elbow, or wrist, but seriously my guardian angel was with me. I’m totally fine now (Neosporin really does the trick - no forehead scars!), and I don’t mean to scare you, but all this is to say…

WAS IT WORTH IT?

Was trying to shave 30 seconds worth spending the whole afternoon in the ER and a whole day lost of work? No! All the work I thought was urgent actually wasn’t that urgent. I’ve learned the hard way from this experience to put my health first and SLOW DOWN!

I’m hyper aware of crosswalks and anything I can trip over now, and I’m reminded of The Pedestrian comic! This quirky series is about a hero that won’t even jaywalk to catch criminals, but he always gets them in the end! Cleverly written by Joey Esposito and beautifully drawn by Sean Von Gorman, this book is way trippier than I expected. I couldn’t help but think: where was The Pedestrian when I needed him?! But you know what? I have my own real life super hero… :)

When my boyfriend Blake heard I had hit my head, he came all the way from Jersey to Brooklyn to make sure I was OK. He took me to CVS to get whatever I needed, treated me to lunch, and encouraged me to just rest for the rest of the day. And you know what? If he wasn’t there, I would’ve just gone back to the studio to get more work done, because that’s how I am. Sometimes it’s easier to care for others than for ourselves. Thank you to my supportive sweetie!

Speaking of which, Blake has recently released Felandra: Heroine of Darkness #2! We’ll be making some convention appearances together:

• August 29th: Super Jersey Summer Spectacular (both Blake and I)

• Early September: KICKSTARTER launch for AER HEAD 3: SEND SURFERS TO MARS! Keep an eye right here for more details in the next few months!

• September 12-13th: SPX! I’ll exhibit both days, and Blake will exhibit on Sunday (he’ll also be at Retrocon on the 12th)

• September 19th: Pete’s Mini Zine Fest

• October 17th-18th: Gowanus Open Studios

Hope to see you at one of these in the future!

As I’m gearing up for my Kickstarter launch, I’m still keeping in mind to slow down! It’s still summer, and it’s OK if the launch isn’t perfect. This is my 3rd one, and while I’m definitely not complacent, it’s not as stressful as the first or even second one because I know more things. After I’m done writing this, I’ll jump back into drawing more AER HEAD 3 pages! Can’t wait for you to see them!