Hello! My name is Ryvre Eve Sweet-and...I have autism. Autism is a spectrum so it affects everyone differently. We have a saying-"If you've met one person with autism, you've only met one person with autism" While there are overlaps and similarities between cases, I've had quite a few challenges that maybe you won't understand but are at least willing to hear me out. I have a variety of sensitivities to sound-Sound causes me physical pain if I am not in control of it. Example-If I'm running water from a kitchen sink? It is loud but it doesn't bother me. If someone else were to run water at the same pressure in that same sink? My brain is ringing and my body feels a sense of pain. The same can be said for the vacuum cleaner or the blender! It hurts me. Everyone loves food!-except when I eat it if the texture is something my tongue does not vibe with or it smells very strong-I will feel like I need to throw up. This alone has caused multiple problems because it angered a lot of adults in my life-I was once beaten because I couldn't eat meatloaf due to the onions making me gag. If I touched anything remotely dirty or slimy I'd need to wash my hands or wear gloves to deal with them. I was often bullied and excluded as a child because I was the "Weird Kid" Until I was diagnosed at the age of 20? I just thought I was the problem and that I was too big of a baby to be doing things the way normal people do it. Turns out, I was... disabled this entire time, and everyone that's ever hurt me just didn't see that-or they did and made it a valid reason to cause hurt. I've learned to live with it, I've also learned...That I want to work in a creative field. Besides all the sensitivities that have plagued my life, I gained something called "hyper fixations" or..."Special Interests" when it came to things like... Cartoons! Or video games, books and all sorts of media as well as the memorabilia that came with them. Collections of bits and bobbles here and there-It's helped me cope a lot with the problems. Currently, I am in an exhilarating art program that is sped up compared to normal 4-year colleges, teaching me how to create art that catches people's attention better. I work very hard to maintain a good grade point average but due to my mom being in the hospital, I don't think it'll be covered next semester... I'd love it if I could make my own form of media! Or at the very least...Be part of it? Storyboarding for example-I could play a key role in creating animations for a videogame or a movie! Maybe even a tv show that many people love! If I make my own media? Then I can give back what the media I've consumed has given me, and that's a little bit of joy and excitement that I otherwise wouldn't have... Thank you for your time. XOXO-Ryvre Sweet.

Hello! My name is Ryvre Eve Sweet! I am pursuing a career in writing, graphic novels and webcomics, and potentially storyboarding if I can get the opportunity. A lot of this stems from all the books I've read in my life. From Charlotte Salter's-"The Bone Snatcher" to "Daemon Hall" by Henry Holt. Even early books in my life such as "The morning queen" I love to read just as any source of entertainment because I love to find characters that I can analyze and follow a cohesive story that has an actual ending, Something I am not getting from various comics out there. I don't like a story that drags on infinitely but I do like a story that has opportunities to be something more than it is, I love a story that'll stay on my mind, stories where characters feel like they matter no matter how small a role they play. Growing up-I didn't have a lot of friends but I did have various forms of entertainment to pass the time, including books. In middle school, I had a bit of a phase where I'd burn through up to 12 books in a week. chapter books, graphic novels, manga...This graduated into webcomics in my later years but I still love to sit down with a good hardcover or paperback. A lot of my morals stem from the books I read and the characters I've come to know and love, here are a few of them. Having a quick wit and thinking outside the box can help you in a lot of situations. Love and friendship don't make you weak, this can be a strength. Villains are sometimes right-they just go about it the wrong way. Not everyone deserves a second chance but some do so use your best judgment. Age does not equal maturity. And not everyone has your best interest at heart... There are other morals I grabbed from books but these are the few that seemed most important. I am inspired by the stories I've read to make my own, though-I prefer a more...Visual route! Thanks to the books I've read? I can tackle my stories with a lot more care than if I hadn't. Reading has also impacted my way of thinking when it comes to someone that may be perceived as an enemy...Sometimes people are just more complicated than they let on and I must take this all to heart going forward. One thing I've got to say though...Wherever I go in life? The books that I've read have made me a more thoughtful person and I hope I can do the same for someone else.

Hello hello! My name is Ryvre Eve Sweet. My parents' names are Richard Sweet and May Sweet. While neither of them finished high school or went to college necessarily, They have instilled that I could be whatever I want in this life. What do I want to do? I want to write stories, make comics, and make beautiful art that inspires people and makes them happy. Everything in your life was made possible because of an artist in one way or another. I did not have much growing up, but I did have books! Children's books, chapter books, graphic novels etc... I am concerned about many things such as the environment and how people treat each other. Pun intended-I hope to make the world a little sweeter. I can write beautiful stories that are easy to comprehend and I can draw pictures that are strong and nice to look at-mix them together and you got the makings of an author/illustrator If I can just get the chance to create my stories then maybe people can read them and they'll learn to be nicer to one another simply by having a good example. If I have the chance to create my stories? I can put good morals behind the words and at the same time I can affect the people that enjoy them in a way that matters. A lot of my morals are based on the media that I consumed and that starts as early as infancy- when parents read various books to their children, going on to reading story books in kindergarten, graphic novels in middle school, then webcomics in high school and so on. "A picture can say a thousand words" And in a lot of ways? I think that's true. Whether it's a fun children's book or a painting from the renaissance-Pictures matter because they usually reflect the era it was made in and the morals of the time. If I can write my books, I can help others see the world through a different point of view, I can make them happy or laugh or cry depending on the genre or age demographic, as well as teach fun facts that may make them ponder and someone smile! For instance, did you know that pure gold never corrodes? That makes it an excellent conductor! Or that dandelions are completely edible and were used as medicine for congestion? It was made into all kinds of things like jam and tea-even salads! While I won't be anything big like... someone in politics or a psychologist, I'd like to at least spend my time in this world making things that others can enjoy. If I get big enough? I can start charities that fund programs that help the environment and/or help people in tragic circumstances. I'd like to have the opportunity to help people. I'm not very good at a lot of things and this is the best talent that I can share with others. So this is the only way I'll do it. I'd like that to mean something someday...To make someone happy. Even if it's just one person. Thank you for your time. XOXO-Ryvre Eve Sweet.

Hello! My name is Ryvre Eve Sweet. I am 23 years old and I have a mental illness many people have called "Autism" For anyone who doesn't know what that is by now, it is a chemical imbalance in the brain that can affect a variety of your senses in how you process the world around you. I was not diagnosed officially until I was 20. That was 3 years ago. For 20 years I had noticed I had a lot of problems that people generally didn't have. I am sensitive to a lot of things. Sounds, Textures in food, Textures in materials, people's voices...Noises are too loud, Food can either be too slimy or too smelly, Specific materials can make my hands itch or feel "gross" when I touch them, and Yelling directed at me activates a fight or flight response-I am anxious in most social situations and I had to train myself how to react "normally" to specific things. it just never ends! No matter what I do to please the status quo-It's not enough. I have been berated by many adults in my life because of these sensitivities and always felt that I was the problem, that I was bullied or "Picky" because it was my fault. I felt excluded by everyone, including my family-all except for my father, who now that I have this label to put on these issues that are in my everyday life. I...Can see these problems in him too. The friends that I do have? Are all on the spectrum somehow. I find that having this particular obstacle in my way has made my life a living hell yet at the same time? It's made me a more empathetic individual that has a strong moral compass in cases of injustice when it comes to the bullying of minorities and concerns for the environment and my health both mental and physical. as well as a very high..."Bullshit meter" I can pick up on lies very easily. Studying reactions for 20+ years kind of does that to you. I have special interests that relate to comics, video games, books, and indie-animation art styles. I would very much like to make working in the creative industry as a career as I take special care in writing relatable characters that appeal to everyone including people like me- there is not a lot of positive representation but I am happy to see that this is changing. It also makes me hyper-fixate on reading into a variety of subjects so I can provide a fun and informal reading experience to what I can create. The mental health industry was very difficult. I wasn't taken seriously by the first doctor that interviewed me and was constantly interrupted when talking about my concerns-I did not feel prioritized and it took over a month to get this diagnosis. The only doctor that would see me was in another state halfway across the country so I had to do a video call that kept locking me out every few minutes due to the outdated technology I had. To summarise how having autism has affected my life- There were ups and downs, a lot of downs, I was made an easy target in a lot of ways. Some people don't take me seriously, and others may see me as a burden on society simply for existing. Yet-I can appreciate my loved ones more because the ones that stick around? Love me for who I am. Interests and all. Sensitivities and all. Thank you for your time. I hope this is enough. xoxo-Ryvre

Well hey there! My name is Ryvre Eve Sweet, yes that is my legal name and yes it is one of the many unique things that someone may or may not say about me. Another thing some may say is that I...act a bit different than 'normal' folks. The reason being is that I am autistic! Diagnosed and unforgettable if you have the chance to meet me. I grew up an oddball that obsesses with little things like certain toys or tv shows and would absolutely gush about all kinds of things from the plot of a series I'm working on to a random fact about various animals that I like. If I love something? I want to share it with everyone. The downside to my autism is that I don't like loud sounds I don't have any control over and if I'm around them long enough it'll affect my ability to focus and do tasks. I cannot 'read the room' sometimes. (Though I am getting better in that category) it also gives me certain movements/ticks that could be seen as annoying or weird. People like me are often infantilized or seen as 'defective' burdens of human beings when all that we want is to be seen/heard as ourselves rather than inaccurate caricatures or something to feel bad about- Or worse-be an example/reason to not get something as important as a vaccine because you think you might catch our chemical imbalances like it's some sort of disgusting disease. I already had enough of that being bullied in elementary-high school. I'm proud to be autistic, because thanks to this imbalance, I can see the world in connections not a lot of people do otherwise. I can see the world in color. I...Want to make a cartoon/comic series that people can all enjoy someday. Series that'll have people like me in them, Help people like me be seen/heard and for it to be more normalized for us to be seen. I want to see people indulge in what I make the way that I do- Making theories about the plot, laughing, making fan art, all of it! I want to give back what I was already given being able to indulge in all these media/genres of storytelling. I want to create for people like me and hope that others can join in! In more simple terms? I... Just want to make people happy...

No one in my family has any big aspirations other than getting the next paycheck or the next thrill. Whether that is from the bottom of the bottle or the end of a blunt. I do not enjoy that, what I do enjoy is drawing out cartoons and comics with relatable fun colorful characters that make the people around me very happy. My dream after college is to hopefully be a storyboarder, my long-term dream is to have my own series written and drawn by myself and a very close friend of mine! College is already helping me so much as I am becoming much less shy and reserved about my artwork. I am also getting great criticism from professionals and colleagues as to how I can improve my works-and they know what they're talking about! Ever since I started I have greatly improved in my anatomy and my backgrounds-Experimenting with different art mediums and have since grown a greater respect for the industry as a whole! I don't think I could have gotten any of this experience and help all on my own... Sure many artists are self taught, but I am not exactly wired like that. I'm autistic, I always have been. Meaning a lot of things that are easy for most people are a lot more difficult for me to comprehend on the surface level, I need a direction pointed out for me to go to get any success otherwise my position stays stagnant. Don't get me wrong, I have worked in a normal setting before. As a warehouse worker because I wanted to save up for my first year! It physically hurt me and all the noise made work difficult... I want so badly to be a storyboarder, I want to work on parts of bigger things and work my way up to making those bigger things on my own, but I sort of need more direction than just a few videos on the internet, I must have hands-on experience to bring life to stories that people of all ages will love! College is giving me experience, networking, friendship, and infinite positive reinforcement that I would have never gotten had I not chosen this path. If anything I wish I came to college sooner! as I've felt so lost and honestly saw myself as a clear failure beforehand. I knew what I wanted to do! I had passion! Yet-Passion alone? Gets you nowhere without drive. College gives me the drive to succeed, and I would be nothing but grateful if I were to be helped by your organization.

My name is Ryvre Eve Sweet and both my parents as well as other members of my family have had bad phases in their lives that they chose to escape reality through their vices. While some people in my life were able to get better, like my father who quit drinking when I was in my late teens over a near-death experience-or my cousin who went into rehab as early as last year... Most of them have chosen to stay where they're at. Whether due to bad habits choosing not to die or just that this is the life they've chosen for themselves. Like my mother who refuses to give up cigarettes even though she coughs up her meals just about every day because of it causing her to grow weak. Or my cousin who supposedly sells the hard stuff even though he is a father. ((don't worry though, the child is safe-my aunt is raising him-she's clean and works with special needs children, Her I'm not worried about.)) I cannot stop their self-destructive behavior. However- I can lead by example. I am choosing a more creative approach, I want to write stories that have themes about substance abuse as well as run charities where I can raise money to help and spread awareness of the dangers of substance abuse/help those that are actively seeking assistance. Writing stories and tackling tough themes without actively shoving it in your face that "this is bad, don't do this" is both a challenge and an art form that I hope to achieve. Having grown up in this particular environment I know very well that it is easier said than done, but there are successes in my family as well as there are failures, Most importantly I want to be an example to the newest generation in my family as I worry about their future due to their environment. I don't want to see them go down the same paths as the older generation. I just want to tell them so badly when they're grown that a different life exists! That you should chase your dreams! Don't be like the adults in our family, please! I want to see you be happy but you can't exactly do that if you don't know what happy looks like... I only want to be the example that a lot of the people around them simply refuse to be.

I lost my job as a temp worker. I came in on time every day, and every day I came home with a new ache and sore. I did not like work, but I did like the people there, they seemed nice..for the most part. I was nice too! I smiled, I did what I was told, wasn't willing to overachieve on my part but I still did what I could. I worked there for almost two years. Within that timeframe I worked at least 4 jobs. I didn't last long at the first three due to the environment not working out, at least one of them shut down, but the last one? I worked for 10 months straight. Then the company changed and I was put from a position I was good at-to a position I was not. I told the staff from the beginning that I had autism, meaning I was very sensitive to sound. Since things in that company changed? This did not matter..I was stuck in the position I wasn't very good at. I didn't fight it either. I needed the job so I could pay for my schooling.. That's where everything went wrong. My whole life revolved around my work. I eat, I work, I go home, I sleep, and then I went back to work again. No hobbies, No recreational activities, Just work! I couldn't keep up with their demands, I could not do the over time because my body was hurting enough and I needed to meet other obligations that wasn't just my job, I was frustrated to the point where I was crying under my mask-One day it was simply too much for me...I didn't do well again and was met with backlash from another employee. I don't blame them-but I couldn't take it anymore. So I walked off site. That company then didn't need me anymore, I couldn't get a new job either because there was nothing else in my area, I had to resign. This..Made me feel like a loser? Like..I failed. Even though I was at my limit and did this for a good reason. The next day? I got to sleep in for once, I wasn't tired, I had no unrealistic obligations to meet. I felt a little better. However this wasn't enough for me. I decided I wanted to do something that I didn't feel I could do because I had a job. I got up, got dressed-and used my hard earned money on impulse to dye my hair purple. I ran through rain, I ate pizza, I was just...Relieved! No more pain! No more yelling or beeping or..Other sounds that made me unhappy! I was free. I realized that I was working myself too hard for a place that didn't care about my needs. I still work myself excessively-only it's for school. and now I have blue hair! (The purple faded) I am so glad I did work at my temp agency though. I learned that I am capable of working very hard when I really want something, regardless on not exactly meeting the expectations of others, and that's okay! I'm enough for school. I'm enough for me.

Growing up-I didn't really like playing outside due to the bad neighborhood kids scaring me inside my home, all I could really do was watch tv, and what was I usually watching? Cartoons of course! Fun whacky little friends that had silly little adventures that made me laugh even when I was alone. I'd often find myself at least trying to recreate curtain characters such as the powerpuff girls and Jenny from "My Life As A Teenage Robot" Later down the line I got into graphic novels and comic books, playing artistically driven games on newgrounds like "Apples on a tree" Going so far as getting into a variety of anime. If it had a story worth watching or characters worth knowing? I was into it. I didn't do well in traditional subjects like math or science, not for a lack of trying-it just didn't really click like the more 'fun' subjects-social studies and english. Hell-I needed a special document that basically said I could graduate regardless on how poorly I did in my math class. I wasn't.. "normal" I never felt normal. The only place I did feel normal however...? Was when I was consuming media or drawing. Drawing my favorite characters made me happy! Drawing-introduced me to potentially the love of my life! (a woman.) I was only happy, when I had a pencil in my hand or exploring fun new characters I could spend hours over analysing and picking apart for fun. Now that I am grown? I want more than anything to be a part of that process, somehow someway-Creating at least part of that media. I don't care if I am storyboarding, screen writing, character designing! I want to be a part of the process of these shows, of this media-and help other people like me feel "normal" Comics, Graphic Novels, Videogames, Cartoons-All of these pieces of media had artists behind them that made my quiet life all the more colorful. I know to some it may seem silly, wanting to work with "cartoons" of all things, But cartoons aren't just for kids-It is literally the love child of all art forms! Music, Writing, and Illustrating/Graphic design all go into this genre of story telling. So really-Call me a one trip pony but there is no other career I'd want to go into that wouldn't make me absolutely miserable. I am studying to currently be a part of that process..I just need a little extra help to do it.

I have so many favorite pieces of literature that I absolutely adore. Daemon Hall and Daemon Hall 2 by Henry Holt? Classics. Shades of Earth by Beth Revis? Groundbreaking. The Willis Place by Mary Dawning Hahn? Simple but Haunts me to my core. However, the one book that I would pick as my favorite? Is none other than "The Bone Snatcher" by Charlotte Salter. Even if you aren't the biggest fan of reading but still love a good story this is the book I would reccomend to anyone. Friends, Family, Children, Colleagues-That guy you sit next to on the bus that looks like he needs a pep talk and a coffe. Everyone! Not only is the main character hilarious? She's got a fighting spirit despite her unfortunate circumstances that I just can't help but relate to! Plus? She tells these artistic miniature stories, IN THE BOOK! It's like you're getting 4 stories for the price of one, and it all takes place at this run down lighthouse in the middle of the ocean-and get this? The lighthouse is surrounded by monsters. The side characters are memorable, (Albeit there's only like-7ish-But you get the point.) The way things are worded are so easy to comprehend, I know some authors like to use flowery language but The Bone Snatcher doesn't really do too much of that and gives a clear picture. You get an unsettling sense of dread as you go further and further into the story-In a good way! Never in my life have I had a book that had me on the edge of my seat. Please, Read this book it is the best thing in the world and if you love studio ghibli movies? It feels like watching one of those when you read it.