January Newsletter + 2024 Reflection

Happy new year, everyone!!! Thank you so much for being here for another month! Because of the holidays, I don't have a ton to report right now, but here's what I've been up to!

Patreon & work news

Patreon will be business as usual, and as always, my discount codes have been updated. You can find those here!

Beyond that, the graphic novel is still crawling along - currently I'm still waiting on editorial notes, so inks are on pause for now.

Personal update

With 2025 beginning, I've been thinking a lot about the past year. Those who've been following for a while may remember me discussing pain in my arms that caused a dip in my productivity starting in 2023; unfortunately in 2024 that did not change, and I learned that it's unlikely to change.

For as long as I can remember, drawing has been my number one priority, so it's been frustrating to feel like I'm losing control of core aspects of myself that I'd come to take for granted, but I'm slowly accepting that it isn't so gloomy. I can still draw, even if that looks a little different in practice now, and even if I have to limit myself.

I'm not really sure why I'm writing this - I think I was just caught off guard by how strangely lonely the experience has been. It's easy to feel like you're the only one in the world dealing with a problem. I was also caught off guard by the way it felt almost embarrassing, like I should have been able to avoid this, or I should be able to get over it, and what if talking about it causes me to lose opportunities or support due to a lack of faith in my ability to deliver? It started to feel like a personal failing.

But the more I listened to my peers, the more I realized this is so ordinary and I'm far from the only one who's felt this way, so it felt worthwhile to be more open about it myself. It's not that I'm happy that others are dealing with similar problems - obviously, I wish none of us were - but it helped me to realize that it's still possible to adapt and find creative fulfillment, even if it takes a while to figure it out. In the meantime, thank you, thank you, thank you for being here and for trusting me with your support while I find my way, and if anyone else is facing something similar, I hope you're able to find yours, too.

2024 in review: art and merch!

To move on to something happier: I do think I was still able to make some pretty fun work, so here are some of my favorites from last year!

I truly had so much fun making wallpapers for everyone, so it was actually hard to choose, but I think my personal favorites would have to be Springtime and Toppings. I love going all out on nature illustrations, and I've also been feeling an ache for past years when I drew a lot of indulgent fanart, so I had a soft spot for these! (if you're in the Harvest tier, you can find all wallpapers here!)

This year I made a few different skirts with Maya Kern, but the two I was most excited about were the wildflower and blueberry designs! They're unfortunately sold out, but they should be making a reappearance sometime this year, so keep an eye out!

This year I also opened my own merch shop, which has been a fun experiment! It's mostly a way for me to make things that I'm personally excited about haha. I think my two favorite designs are Sweet Citrus and My Sweet Heart. I'm glad others liked them, too!

An honorable mention: since I've had to pump the brakes on drawing, I've been trying to find other hobbies, and my favorite one that I started in 2024 is film photography! I'm not very good LOL, but it's been really, really fun, and I actually recently got my second roll of film back! Like last time, I'm pretty limited in what I can show since I want to respect the anonymity of the photo subjects, but here are a few that I thought turned out okay! (Portra 400 shot with a thrifted Canon A-1)

Anyway, once again, happy 2025! I'm wishing you all the best, and I hope the year is kind to you.