Heya! I’m Destiny, a gecko-obsessed Deaf artist in Pittsburgh working toward Portland. I draw, make comics, and animate original characters, ASL icons, and visual clarity for Deaf characters in media. More work, socials, and commissions: sakeozo.com/links (ꈍ ꒳ ꈍ✿)

Visual Description: A nine-panel comic illustrated in a gentle, soft art style with warm colors and a curly, decorative font for the text. Each panel features a different source of comfort, with the same artist icon logo watermark by Sakeozo in the bottom-left corner. Panel 1: A pale hand holds up a glass of matcha latte with cute frog stickers on it. The text reads: “The dance between green and white as it circles the glass. Nothing makes me feel more productive and relaxed than its soothing, earthy flavor.” Panel 2: A first-person view of pale legs wearing long black over-the-knee socks with two white bands and fluffy brown cat-paw slippers. The text reads: “These bring me back to my younger days when I was obsessed with cats. Some things don’t change.” Panel 3: A pale hand gently scratches the chin of a happy black cat. The text reads: “Her sweet eyes glistening with bliss as I give her the best chin scritches.” Panel 4: Three geckos look happily toward the viewer. From left to right are Atom, a pale yellow leopard gecko; Scooter, a darker yellow spotted leopard gecko; and Lava, a skunk-like African fat-tailed gecko. The text reads: “Their lively, cartoonishly adorable eyes as they await their grub (or perhaps they're just curious).” Panel 5: A fresh bowl of Vietnamese pho sits beside bottles of Sriracha and hoisin sauce, along with a plate of herbs, peppers, and bean sprouts. The text reads: “Maiku's Vietnamese Pho was there for me during art college when I was hungry between classes. Their delicious food is nurturing. A humbling reminiscence of transformative times as a developing artist.” Panel 6: An extreme close-up of a long-haired man with a lipstick mark on his right cheek. The text reads: “My target practice perfected between these 2 small spots on his cheek. The tenderness and warmth keep me right at home.” Panel 7: A fuzzy whole kiwi half sits beside several sliced kiwis. One slice has a bite taken out of it. The text reads: “This fruit shares the same nickname as my childhood bestie. It tingles in my mouth like a fond memory. Suddenly I remember what resilience means to me.” Panel 8: A white wax melt lamp glows softly as a pink wax melt cube melts on top, releasing swirls of cloud-like vapor. The text on the right reads: “As it slowly puddles, the sweet aroma sets the tone and helps me wind down before I tuck in. It doesn't come quick, but it is rewarding.” Panel 9: A bright, gentle headshot of Hope Fox, an original character with orange hair and a yellow-and-black striped scarf. An unbroken line trails from a Wacom drawing pen, connecting the illustration to the creative process. Text appears above and below the drawing, reading: “Being able to manifest my imagination into things that tell a story. To me, it's like breathing air, drinking water, eating food, & sleeping soundly. There's something magical knowing my journey does not end here, despite how much things change.”

Nightshade, Glaze, & Foxglove doesn't do anything to protect your art. Test it.

I've become pretty jaded & disillusioned with certain activist communities, esp when it comes to audism, accessibility, tokenism, and the general lack of respect for Deaf people. I'm tired of seeing people speak confidently about oppression while dismissing the very people experiencing it. Tired of accessibility being treated as an afterthought. Tired of seeing so much energy go into the correct jargon-loaded terminology and political language while the bigger picture, and the people at the center of it, get overlooked. Communication is already a challenge for those with delayed language acquisition. (Like me!) So they get retaliation or punished for expressing in a different way. It's hard to keep investing in spaces where Deaf people are expected to contribute, educate, or represent, but aren't always genuinely listened to, supported, or respected. That doesn't mean my activism is going anywhere. I'm still going to make art, design flyers, draw comics, and tell stories about the things I care about. My stance hasn't changed, and neither have the things I want to fight for. What's changed is where I choose to put my energy, who I work with, and what I'm willing to spend my time on. I'm becoming more selective about the spaces I participate in and the people I collaborate with. I'm less interested in cliques, endless discourse, and community drama. I'd rather put that energy into making things that mean something to me, speak to the issues I care about, and hopefully reach people beyond the same circles.

Here's a little snippet of a cute gek waving that I animated for my new website, you'll see it soon!! - Visual description: A screen recording showing a looping animation of the gek waving, with the program window being Clip Studio Paint.

Some splash arts of a thank-you cards from last year, if you've ordered anything of physical item from my online store within now to last year, you probably have one! Have you collected them all yet?

QUICK, WHAT LETTER DID I JUST FINGERSPELL IN ASL?

So yeah... That's me, yo!

Did you know that most of *How Lovely!~* takes place in Pittsburgh? The story's visual style is inspired by Andy Warhol's approach to Pop Art. Warhol was born and raised in Pittsburgh, too! Enjoy an old art repost of the trio!