You’ve probably heard the saying: “Real movement only starts in discomfort.” But let’s be honest — discomfort is nothing compared to when you’re mentally bleeding, when life has already taken half of you.

The Reality of Crisis

When your way of life or health is under threat — when you’re burned out from seeing the same people and places every day — you’re left with two options:

1. Start fighting back and searching for your own answers — even if that means going against medicine, society, or the people who "know you so well".
   
   

2. Give up. Gain weight, drink more, smoke more, and let depression drain what’s left of your energy.
   
   

Let’s talk about what really pushes you to stand up and move forward.
And what obstacles I personally face.
Because not everyone wants to fight.

My Story: No Botox insta-beauty, No Sponsorships, Just Survival and Art

I’m not an Instagram model with a sugar daddy 15 years older. I don’t have money for ads, my vision is -4, and I’ve spent years drawing cheap comics to survive.
And to top it all off — I’ve been living under war for the past four years.
Missiles. Bombs. Drones. Torture. Death.

The largest country in the world says they don’t have enough territory and that everyone is against them. So, they attack smaller, poorer countries like mine.

My closest one passed away. Friends drifted apart — they have husbands, kids, a different life. They don’t chase dreams, they just live paycheck to paycheck.

When Everything Falls Apart

The first thing I did?
I bought dozens of business books. Also psychology and motivational ones — like Tony Robbins. He explains so well the pain of those starting from the bottom.

We all live with the same shadows:

• We’re not part of a community that truly excites us.
  
  

• We don’t believe in ourselves.
  
  

• We have no savings.
  
  

• No one supports us.
  
  

• We’re broke.
  
  

Will it break you or fuel you?

Real Threats in the Job Hunt

While looking for a local job, I was attacked by a scammer who threatened me for blocking him. He turned out to be a traffic arbitrage guy, found my photo online, and started calling me a "dirty dumb sheep" from different accounts.

After that, I gave up on showing my face in videos.
I spent months developing a script and concept for a launch. A person who promised to help kept undermining my confidence — all while sending me $25 per month.

Facing Rejection and Fake Job Offers

I sent out 5 test assignments, rewrote my résumé 3 times — and got rejected every time. My retired mother had to pay for my electricity.
Online job boards are full of fake openings — game studios collecting resumes but not actually hiring.

English placement tests said I was A2 level… LOL. I took it three times and realized they were just selling courses. I’m at least B1!

Thank god for AI. I now use it to translate my texts because I can’t afford a real translator.
All my money goes to CG tools and medication.

The Silence of the Internet

Nobody subscribes to me.
I thought I was cursed — even small artists get commissions, but not me.
Six months building a site, finishing my manga... But daily doubts flooded my mind: “No one will show up at launch. I have no followers.”

I felt like a robot just going through the motions.
People ignore me. I get 200 visits a month, when I need 5000 for conversion.

Building From the Ground Up

I spent months choosing a theme — because once chosen, you can’t go back.
I picked magic — it became my foundation.

And then — something shifted.

I tried animation for the first time. My video reached 2,400 views on YouTube and 400 on Instagram. That was proof: the theme works, and the algorithms react.

Let’s Talk Engagement

Views mean nothing — even if they hit a million.
Most people just scroll to relax. 70% of users are passive.
(Yes, there are marketing studies about this.)

You have to engage the remaining 30%. But the competition is brutal.
Few people last long in this game.

Business has a test phase: 5–7 years. Or even 8 now.
That’s right — for nearly 8 years, people won’t take you seriously. That’s why there’s a belief that if you’re not a millionaire by 30, you’re a failure.

AI Changed the Industry

Top companies are tired. Even mid-level studios now treat artists like replaceable machine parts.
Nobody respects craftsmanship anymore.
AI has replaced many creatives and will keep evolving.

And still — here you are, trying to build something.
Have startup capital? Meta ads will burn it fast with no return.

I Bought 60 Books and 20 Courses…

…and I move forward slowly, learning everything myself.
There’s always the risk of ending up as a janitor.

But here’s what I’ve realized (and yes, this could’ve been part of a paid course):
Your uniqueness matters.

You must love, believe in, and respect yourself.
Be your own judge and critic.

Don’t Be a Faker

Don’t pretend to fit in with people who don’t value you.
Don’t play the clown running for coffee and burgers just to seem chill when you know you’re being excluded.

Save My Site and Join the Launch

Save my website and come to the launch of Witch’s Pie — a manga about struggle and achievement.

Let’s fight and create something unforgettable.

Let’s prove that even in war and darkness, a story can still light the way.