My bedroom is where all the creativity thrives. If you were to step inside my room, you would see a lot happening at once. Many superhero comic posters, movie posters, references to video games, the NY Jets (unfortunately), a sign of ‘Main ST’ and a plethora of kid drawings. Well the kid drawings are from my nephew who I promised to display his artwork in my room because I’m proud of his accomplishments; I love that little guy. Also, his artwork is exceptionally beyond his years. Anyway, this 10 by 12 foot small rectangular room is where my essential existence lies. On most days, I’m sitting at my desk on my laptop looking at my monitor less than two feet in front of me. In the middle of my room a Queen size bed nearly covers the bulk of the room, while the sides are used for sheer slight movement. My desk as a whole is usually a mess and when that is clean everything from my desk is moved onto my bed. Call it laziness or call it procrastination. There is one window that I look out from an angle while sitting at my desk because the giant bulging book shelf my dad found me is one-third the width of the room. My window contains dark blue drapes that are used to cover the sunlight from penetrating inside. Most of the time I keep it open though because I enjoy the light. Behind the desk and the bed is my dresser that has my clumpy and fat television set from the early 2000’s, as well as my PlayStation 3 Slim to its left and ten PlayStation 3 video game cases on its right. The PlayStation 3 box showing a picture of Nathan Drake of the Uncharted video game series jumping out of an airplane is just behind the game cases against the wall. Also, my television which includes a remote can only be used for playing video games because I do not have a cable wire in my room.

At the back of my bed post or where I rest my head on the pillow are two actual movie theater size posters in their correct frames of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Matrix. There’s even a vague Marvel comic superhero poster, the WB’s Smallville and a poster from the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man. It is very obvious to me now and I’m sure you reading this that I need to update some things. Below the Spider-Man movie poster are three drawings by my nephew; one of Pikachu from Pokemon, another of Spider-Man and the third a funny colored in drawing of Patrick from SpongeBob SquarePants in Bikini Bottom. In the front wall on the bed are my unreliable sliding closet doors that consistently derail from the track because they’re old and obsolete. I have a hanger for my towel in the crack of the closet door, as well as a bunch more posters of Lego Marvel Avengers, The Hunger Games film and an enemy called Helghast from video game Killzone. There’s a map of the world on one of the closet doors and a framed photograph of a foggy but alluring landscape. I have a few Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles drawings and pictures from coloring books. Other Ninjas, characters from Toy Story and other obscure child drawings. There’s also the ‘Main ST’ sign I mentioned earlier. I have three plaques that are awards I won in High School.

High School was when I was at my academic peak. At the very top is my Grade Nine Academic Excellence plaque with my name Anthony Vecchiarello and a genie lamp. I won that because supposedly I was one of the top 10 or 25 academic students that year. The second plaque below is my Connetquot High School Sportsmanship Award I won during the 2005-2006 time period which was my first year on the Varsity Swimming & Diving team. I was one of the slowest and worst swimmers that year, but I sure demonstrated good and positive sportsmanship. Take that jocks. The third plaque below is one of my greatest achievements to date. Titled ‘Bennie Cook Memorial Award’, this one is specifically given to only one student in a class per year for whom conquered all challenges and excelled beyond the masses. That was me in High School. I will get more into that at a later date, but basically I used to have a learning disability. This plaque that was given to me the same night as the Academic Excellence Award, was on June 2004 at Ronkonkoma Junior High School. I cherish the ‘Bennie Cook Memorial Award’ the most not for it’s shining red and yellow color or its genie lamp symbol, but the quote that is etched into it by Eleanor Roosevelt, “…You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” I believe that we all should use that principle day to day. It says a lot about success and how conquering the odds is more about beating what is difficult to you or me and not just what we are good at. If you or I think something is impossible and it’s something we want to do then we must make a huge effort to accomplish it. Did I just dedicate a whole paragraph to my achievements? Oh man, sorry about that. I don’t mean to come off as self-loathing or self-centered because I knew some selfish people and I want to stay as far away from that as possible. Also I am not that. However, once in a while it is normal to highlight and be proud of a few of your achievements. It reminds me that I can be that successful and be somebody. I am ambitious and have been since I started school.

Going back to my room, on the wall next to my TV is my long lamp that barely illuminates the room with its yellow gradually dying light bulb, a NY Jets clock that stopped working years ago, a kid sized ‘Snoopy’ Frisbee, a kid sized dart board I never use nor cannot find its darts and a poster from Captain America: The First Avenger. There is another older drawing from my nephew of Leonardo and a foot clan soldier from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. To the right of that is my light switch and door. My wooden door has a long and narrow mirror that I look at everyday. I have used that many times to look sexy before going out and meeting the ladies or look at my reflection and notice if I am presentable enough for a job interview.

On the wall by my desk and laptop on the left is my media book shelf, as I like to call it. On the right side of my desk is my wall shelves that contains my skin care products, deodorants, cologne, coin jar and other toiletries that are on the bottom. The top shelf has my artist books and sketch pads that I cannot fit inside the media book shelf. On the top is also comic book artwork from Michael Golden, who does the majority of cover art for ‘The Walking Dead’ graphic novel. I still have to get a frame, but it is a picture of Officer Deputy Rick Grimes shooting zombies as others surround him. It was signed by Michael Golden and has a ‘Certificate of Authenticity’. I bought that while I was visiting New York Comic Con last year in Artist Alley. Then I have a bag of travel toiletries and another bag full of shades and glasses.

On my desk is my laptop that includes my computer mouse and desktop mouse pad. There are also, my Logitech speakers which glitch in and out of sound sometimes, a dull colored designed tissue box, a small lamp with an over-sized lamp shade, my keys, wallet, cell phone and a bunch of scattering papers and notes. My carpet floor is a light green that constantly has to be vacuumed, a Radio Shack power strip by the dresser and my overstuffed laundry basket that is located on the far corner beside my long lamp. On my window panel by my desk is a 2 inch long red Buddha figurine with a pot belly and man titties that scream, “feed me more pasta,” or “give me beer”. Regardless, he’s a happy Buddha and I feel happy when I look at it. The sheets on my bed are usually curled in tight like the fetal position. Right now, I’m wearing a white V-Neck t-shirt and Adidas workout pants because I ran out of all my pajama pants, they’re dirty. On my floor there’s also separate pairs of sneakers, boots and flip flops unevenly placed. Two flat and rectangular storage boxes rest underneath the bed, as a Fender Acoustic guitar, guitar case and stand sit inside my closet. Within the closet besides my immense amounts of clothing along the hangers, I have other shoes in boxes, a few things of luggage, an Ab roller device and boxes of GI JOE action figures and accessories I keep stored. On the top shelf are my hats (two fedoras, Indiana Jones Fedora and several winter wool hats) including all my gloves, some stuffed animals, blankets, pillows and a comforter. Then there is my media book shelf.

My book shelf is a modern version of any regular book shelf. There are total of six shelves that contain everything from books, to DVDs, CDs, flashlights, board games, comic books, guides, a book light, notebooks, diaries, sketch books, dictionaries, pottery, file folders, photos in frames, religious artifacts, a Chinese Dragon figurine, Chinese balls, an 8-Ball, and other figurines and toys. It’s a bit much, but unconsciously displays my expansive desire of learning, creativity and art. If you were inside my room and only looked at my book shelf it would seem like a modern version of those scholar office rooms you always see in period pieces. I am like that scientist that the main character meets who knows how to kill the monster at the end because of his eclectic personality and desire to seek knowledge that others do not yearn for. If I lived in the Dark Ages or Medieval Times I think I’d be that guy with the wacky Einstein hair doing all his odd experiments creating interesting potions and inventions. And my book shelf would cover the backs of my entire studies like a hard copy of the internet. I think it would look a little like Head Master of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore’s room from the Harry Potter series, if you did not already know. Maybe I’m just limiting myself to cliche film characters. However, sometimes I feel like a bad-ass cowboy like Clint Eastwood who won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. The irony in all of this, is that I have not read the majority of the books that remain nestled. I have not read all the Harry Potter books, I have not read any of The Lord of the Rings, I skipped through the Narnia series, ignored the A Series of Unfortunate Events and did not even try to read Star Wars. I have only read three of the 19 Tarzan books I have in my collection, have not finished The Stand, started reading IT awhile back, never read the Dark Tower Stephen King series and a month ago started reading Fifty Shades of Grey (I’m only on Chapter 2). However, I have watched all my movies and listened to all my albums. I am an avid reader but just not of chapter books. Instead I read on news and pop culture articles online.

Lastly is my wallpaper. Besides the bland white spaces between there is a banner that goes across the border of my room which is a baby bear in pajamas on a cloud, as well as a yellow crescent moon, a yellow star and a cloud all smiling happily. Tiny blue stars fill the background as the pattern repeats throughout. Below the banner are vertical lines of pink, green, yellow and blue colors. This wallpaper is meant for a child and not an adult. Years ago, when I first moved into this house my dad promised me new wallpaper. And that was fifteen years ago. At this point it does not even matter because I’m so used to it that it has become a part of the room and my own inner self. I plan on moving out in the near future anyway.

This room has become my life boat and my sanctuary. I have sat on my desk and ate dinner, drank beer in front of my laptop while trolling on Facebook or binge watching The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad on Netflix. Everyday, I use my laptop for applying to jobs, taking notes, writing posts, writing stories, streaming live television with my Optimum App or listening to music on my iTunes library. I have also used this room for folding laundry, playing guitar, playing video games, drawing or vacuuming. It is even my personal space for thinking and for feeling safe and secure. It is my own bubble and my own existence from the world I can escape to. It is where my brain works and lives. They say that people with active and intelligent brains tend to have messy desks or office rooms. I believe that because after I clean my room which almost takes the entire length of a day, it only takes another week or so for it to become in disarray and unorganized again. It is a viscous cycle, but I guess that is part of being an artist. My room is a tornado and a concoction of my imaginative and creative self. If you take one look at my room you will find out who I really am underneath. What is your room like?