Optimist: New Shirts, Beanies and Website

Today is an exciting day. A project near and dear to my heart is moving into a brand new chapter.

I started the Optimist project 2 and a half years ago after losing my home to a building fire. Once again my tenacity is being tested in this season as I recover from a serious skateboarding injury.

Isn't it funny how undergoing change and chaos always seems to show us what is truly important?

Over the years I’ve learned that this type of story this not so rare. Everyone faces adversity at some point, and it’s never easy to overcome it. This holds true across all struggles, be it physical or mental, an unhealthy relationship or a tragedy that came out of left field. I hope this project serves as a reminder to stay grateful for what you have and do the best you can regardless of the circumstances.

Side note: This time of year seems to be especially negative, with the media ranting and raving about a certain orange fellow who will remain nameless. So this is just a small way I can combat that with some positive energy out into the world. 🙃
 

New Micro-site: Optimist.nyc

For a while I’ve wanted to create a separate site for Optimist, since it is a community oriented project. Well guess what… It’s live now!

Right now the site is very minimal, with a few products for sale and a couple submitted stories. I have plans to continue building it out in the near future, but I hope you will check it out!

I’ll soon be adding a new section of the site for these longer form submissions, with custom illustrations to go along with them.
 

New Pocket T-shirts and Beanies!

Two new products are live and available for purchase here, just in time for fall and winter. I hope you’ll be proud to wear these and share the message with those around you. Shipping is free for those of you in the USA.

Giving Back

This project would not be possible without those people to supported me in the beginning.

However, some people are not so lucky to have such a helpful support system. This is why I’m continuing to donate a portion (10%) of each sale directly to fund-raising campaigns for disaster survivors and families who have lost their home.

My goal isn’t to sell as many products as possible. Instead, my hope is that the right people will find it and spread the message to those around them. You never know what might spark up a conversation and change the course of someone’s day (or life).

That’s all for now. I appreciate you coming along with me for this journey.