Welp... welcome to my art book.
Unlike other users on Wattpad, I only created this book after I realized I was doing art for a lot of people. I'm not great at art, so don't expect anything extraordinary... (not to mention I do paper drawings and not...
I know I technically already said I left Wattpad about a year before, but I've finally had some time to come back on, sift through my thousand-some notifications, and even reread some of the stuff I wrote (i.e., my stories).
I can write (and draw!) a lot better now (if I do say so myself), but clearly I haven't been here since. I'm a sophomore in high school now, and things are only getting busier and busier here. When I first joined Wattpad back in 2018- four years ago (time flies by SO FAST...)- I was a mere sixth grader. In elementary school.
I had a lot more time back then. I don't think I realized it (and I don't think any sixth-grader would ever realize that by themselves), but I took this period in my life for granted. Because, even though my writing and art skills were terrible (in hindsight), I had so much more time at my disposal. I could draw for the entire afternoon if I wanted, because back then, homework only took at most about two to three hours (very rarely more).
I'm not sure how old most of you are, but judging by your comments that show up in my notification feed, I think you're all around the same age I was when I first started writing on Wattpad. Perhaps 12 to 13 years old? Give or take. Maybe younger, maybe older. Technically, you're actually not supposed to be on Wattpad until you're 13 or older (as stated in their Terms of Service), but things like that are rarely enforceable on the internet (if I'm being honest). If the platform doesn't have proof, they can't kick someone off their platform. So there's that. You can choose what you want to do with that information.
As I mentioned three paragraphs before, yes, I still write. Just not Wings of Fire anymore, because now I write essays, class notes, research papers, etc. I do write stories when I have time, but they're my own stories with my own characters and world-building- not fanfictions. Do I miss writing Wings of Fire stories? Of course. I have so many other headcanons in the back of my mind that I'd love to delve into, but there is only one thing stopping me: time. Or rather, the lack thereof.
I still post art regularly on DeviantArt, if you want to take a look at that (search "ShadowClawEclipse"). If you ask me, I think I've improved substantially in 2021, and I hope I can become better and better in the future. I just finished drawing this new profile picture yesterday, and honestly, I would go as far as to say this is the best digital art piece I have done in my life so far.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
So why did I write this chapter? Well, for one thing, to let you all know I'm not dead, and that I do truly miss writing Wings of Fire content. But also, to let my story serve as a reminder to you all: I know a lot of you are younger than you claim to be- again, in the aforementioned 12-13 age range. You still have time to reread Wings of Fire books and discuss them with your friends, and you still have time to write and draw and headcanon and make characters and dream all day. These times will not last. Yes, everyone's high school (and junior high/middle school) experience is different. But I highly doubt anyone would argue with me if I told them that high school is far more chaotic and busy than elementary school.
Have you ever wondered why there are so many dead accounts on Wattpad? People with half-finished stories and art books and- well- other miscellaneous stuff? Well, yes, some of it might be because people simply lost interest in the platform and left. But many others also left because their lives got busier and busier until they were forced to abandon their account and stories. This has happened to many people, and perhaps it may even happen to you in the future. Just don't be surprised if it does.
Use your time wisely. Don't take the time you still have for granted. Life is only going to get faster and faster.
And this sounds like something that Clearsight would say: Treasure the present. The past and the future are still there and will be there until the death of the universe, yes, but the present is the only thing you can control directly. Living in the past in regret will not fix anything in the present (unless you use that as motivation to change), and living in the "what-ifs" of the future without doing anything tangible to make it come true is also rarely useful.
Work with what you have. Go through life one step at a time.
I think Dr. Seuss put it best when he said, "Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory."
Good luck in your endeavors, and I hope someday I may have enough time to return to Wattpad to write once more. Until then, live in the gift box that is the present.
With sincerity and the genuine hope she does not sound too cliché,
Syzygy the NightWing
Writer, artist, animator, musician (flutist and pianist), and avid Wings of Fire fan
