Thank You, Monty

 

“The Human Spirit Is Indomitable”

I understood careers,

I understood networking,

I understood how impossible dreams could seem…

and then there came Monty Oum.

I do not remember exactly when I first discovered him.

I only remember the feeling was absolute awe.

Here was someone creating worlds,
fight scenes, stories, with passion so visible
that it practically burst through the screen.

Haloid.

Dead Fantasy.

Later, RWBY.

He made things because he loved making them.
And her wasn't that much older to me then.
Still, to the younger me that mattered deeply.

What struck me most was learning that
he had not followed the “expected” path.

No grand credentials.

No perfect roadmap.

Just effort.

Practice.

Creativity.

Persistence.

He dared to try anyway.

And somehow,

that changed my understanding
of what a person could become.

Because the world often teaches us

that value only comes through permission.

Through institutions.

Through validation.

But then there are people like Monty.

People who remind us

that passion itself can become
a force powerful enough

to move others.

He passed far too young.
There were many stories left unfinished.
But I do not believe his spirit disappeared.

Not truly.

Because every creator inspired by him,

every artist emboldened by him,

every dreamer who decided to begin because of him

carries a piece of that spark forward.

And perhaps that is part of immortality, too.

“I believe that the human spirit is indomitable.”

That was his quote, and honestly?

I think he proved it.

So thank you, Monty Oum
and those who carry an essence of his flame.

Thank you for creating because you wanted to create.

Thank you for trying boldly.

Thank you for showing people like me

that even without the “proper” path,

there is still value in passion,

still value in effort,

still value in daring to make something beautiful.

Because of people like you,

many of us learned that trying is not failure.

Trying is the beginning. 🌳

[Expanded Thoughts Below]

Monty Oum was my first real-life hero. He was actually somebody that I sincerely looked up to. I do not remember when I first learned of him. I just know that I was so impressed and motivated with the idea and understanding that he did so much as a high school dropout. I never looked into seeing if he had a GED or if he went and had like official training somewhere. From what I understood at the time, he dropped out of high school, was working some type of job, but during his free time, he would do what he loved, which was make projects like Haloid. It was called Haloid, and Dead Fantasy. And they were just so good. Like he just did what he loved, and eventually he made something of that. He was so creative and so artsy and so just awesome. I mean, I am not a person who does deep divings into everything. I do know that he passed way too young before Ruby can even actually be finished. I know that I feel really sorry and sad for his family, but at the same time, I just know that he's not truly dead. His physical body is, but the spark and essence of him isn't. There are many creators and people who are also inspired by him from what he did trying to just do combat as he did so fluidly and so epically. And then there are people like me who just are encouraged to do what we love, and even if we don't have a degree, to just try it and just do what we can with what we have and make some magic. But that's my understanding.

Because I wasn't sure, I took time to look it up. I did verify that he did, in fact, drop out of high school, that he was, in fact, self-taught the majority of the time. Does it matter? I wonder. And I think it does. It does indeed. Because in this era where people are forced to spend a lot of money for a degree to supposedly validate their knowledge and expertise, it demeans those who do not have. And if Monty Ohm is a person who did not have, but gained so much, then that's proof in and of itself. A lot of people did resonate with the fact that you can do anything, or at least follow your dreams, or just try, and that's okay. I don't know specifically his motivation.

I do know that there is a quote that he said: “I believe that the human spirit is indomitable.”

And the human spirit being indomitable? It's not wrong. There is something about all of us connecting together. I mean, it's only been 26 years into this new century. The internet only became a major thing not that long ago, for many people at least. It wasn't common before, and we're making so many fast advances now, but we have to be able to do so much more together. Because of Monty Oum, I was able to see that I can at least try, and I am trying, and that trying is enough. And I am trying as in I am doing the best that I can for my efforts. And I am also trying in that it may take some time and effort from other people to see what I'm getting at. I am pushing and pulling in trying the systems that be, testing the limits, pushing boundaries, not just because I'm alone, but because one person dared to for themselves. And I have to thank Monty Oum for doing just that, and for the team of Rooster Teeth, who ultimately was his home, at least until the end. May his spirit live on through those who remain.