Presenter’s Notes:
Hook: I Am Kage (ka-ge)
*Japanese for shadow
Who am I, what makes me different then the others around me and what makes me stand out.
Roots:
Next few slides, define my values.
“I value many things in life, but three are essential to me.”
The things and beliefs that essentially make me who I am.
Values: family, helping others, art
I value my family above all else. Everything that I do I do for my family. For if it wasn’t for them, I would not be where I am today.
They have always and will continue to be by my side.
To me, race and blood mean nothing when it comes to who you consider family. Though they are different then me in terms of look and where we come from, those two are my brothers.
We went through high school Hell together and are still close.
I also value in helping those who truly need. I try to go out of my way to help as many people as I possibly can.
My most proud way of helping is from this logo. The logo of my anti-bullying organization.
My final essential value and my true love is art. Whether it be 2D or 3D, tattoos or paintings, movies or video games, I love art.
For if it wasn’t for art, I would not be following my dream today. And it saved me and acted as my escape growing up.
What has made me believe and develop those specific values:
Getting bullied
Losing so much family
Finding my love for art
Starting mixed martial arts and parkour
Growing up, I experienced a lot of pain. Enough pain that would break most people, especially kids and teens.
Such as getting bullied. I was picked on ever since I was a kid for it being my size or the things that caught my interest.
Even to this day, when some people see me, they think they can punk me and push me around.
I also lost a lot of loved ones during my short 20 years of living. I’ve been around death for as long as I can remember.
But that pain has helped me grow into the person that I am today.
When I was child, I was instantly drawn towards video games and comics. And the thing that drew me towards them was the art.
The way the characters, environments and props were drawn and modeled.
I knew then and there that my true passion was for art.
When I was eight, I started boxing, to let go of the anger I held onto and to learn how to protect myself.
But as I grew, I studied and practiced many different forms and styles of fighting. Then when I turned 13, my uncle began to train me in MMA
Also, when I started training in MMA, I also picked up parkour/ free running. The art of being able to run and move through obstacles and use our environment to our advantage to move around more quickly.
With those two skills, I plan on competing in a competition that I have been watching and wanting to be a part of for years. And that would be American Ninja Warrior, which started in Japan as Sasuke.
Define my skillset:
Artist
Gamer
Martial artist
Freerunner
Musician
I have been an artist ever since I could properly hold a pencil. I have studied all forms of art from painting to sketching to sculpting.
And ever since my time here at Fullsail, I have become a 3D and computer artist. My favorite have to be animation and modeling.
I am also a very active gamer. I actually used to play competitively in games such as Pokemon and Yugioh
I have ten plus years of martial arts and fighting experience. I have found it to be relaxing and a great way of meditation.
I even have high hopes of one day being able to train with Jason David Frank, an undefeated MMA champion and is also known for playing Tommy Oliver. One of the original and best Power Rangers.
I am an active free runner. I go out as much as I possibly can and just run through the neighborhood. I remember when I first started, me and a group I ran with found a run down construction area. It was our parkour playground.
Other then being an artist, mixed martial artist and free runner. I am a musician, I have been playing ever since I was 8 and it all started with the violin.
Ever since then, I have learned how to play the guitar, bass, cello, drums and piano.
I was even a rapper for a few years.
Work experience:
Tutor
Mechanic
MMA trainer
Freelance artist
Gamestop employee
During my high school career, I worked as a tutor through recommendation by one of my teachers, Mr. Riley. I mainly tutored in math and Spanish.
When I was 11, I worked for my uncle as a mechanic up in my hometown of Gainesville, Florida.
It shows where I got my love and enthusiasm for cars. Especially classic American muscle. I actually helped my uncle restore a 1968 Mustang GT.
After about two years of training under my uncle, a former marine, in mixed martial arts. He asked me to be one of his trainers to help teach his less experience students.
I have also been and still am a freelance artist. I started off drawing cartoon characters for kids in middle school to know modeling and designing people’s characters. Whether they be for furries or for a game.
I am also working on and publishing my very on comic which I am being allowed to sell at a local comic shop.
I am also working on and publishing my very on comic which I am being allowed to sell at a local comic shop.
I even worked as a Gamestop employee as a seasonal hire.
So you can tell I truly do love video games.
So, that is who I am.
And with everything that I have done, I hope to find true success.
What is success to me?
To me success, is being recognized for all the good I have done and the art I have created, even if it’s just by one person.
For I am Kage, a shadow striving to be seen through my art.