Boy Meets World 🖤

So one thing that happens when you’ve been here for a while is that you end up with this archive of how you got to where you are now—a long lens of nostalgia on all the people you’ve been, those you’ve loved, and all the things you’ve done.

Adam JK (@adamjk​) was one of the first Artists on Tumblr—he’s literally been here for almost as long as we have! Since that first post, he’s journaled, made friends, found his queer community, met his future husband, and made some really great art that people really love.

We asked Adam to share some of the moments that shaped his identity—as a person, an artist, a writer, a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. These are the posts he decided to talk about.

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This post really sums up how I used Tumblr for a long time. It was my diary and I didn’t think anybody was paying attention (because they weren’t).

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Usually in relationships, I was the one getting dumped, so when I had to break up with a guy, it felt so shitty, and I thought, “why isn’t there a thing for this?”The minimum order was 500 balloons, so I had 499 too many and posted about them. People started ordering them. I got some minor press coverage, I even got ripped off a few times! My art—really one of the first things I created that wasn’t for a client—was suddenly blowing up, and I put the profits (a few hundred dollars) back into this hobby of making novelty gift products nobody asked for.

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Around age 21, I became internet friends with a network of “Tumblr Gays” that made me feel more comfortable being myself. I would take the bus from Baltimore to NYC on weekends to meet up and go out and pretend brunch was an entire personality. At some point, I met Walt Cessna, who was flooding Tumblr with photos around that time. I feel like this photo captured me between two worlds, nervous about being on my own but excited to be my full queer self in New York.

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In 2013 I started making these “everything will be so good so soon” post-it note collages, and they took on a life of their own. So many people have told me this was their phone background or helped them through a hard time, and I learned the power of making hopeful, honest art. This particular reminder finds its way back to me just when I need it most, and I’m really proud to have re-drawn it for the back cover of my new book.

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My husband and I were mutuals but never exchanged messages or anything until one day I caved and asked him out. We both fell pretty hard for each other, and it was interesting how we kept posting on Tumblr while knowing the other could see it. We would buy each other donuts and flowers and write cute notes and the whole fucking thing. Before Mitchell, I never dated a guy longer than three months. Before me, he never thought about marriage. Love is real, and I’m so glad I didn’t listen to anyone who made me feel like I couldn’t find it for some reason.

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Tumblr… I love you. Thank you for being you!!!!!!

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As it happens, Adam actually recently finished making a little blue book about learning to be a person and then being that person. So if you want to know where he’s at today, here’s the trailer for that book. Happy Tuesday, Tumblr <3