🌿 Behind the Veil: Mythseeker Progress + Life Lately

Hello friends! Happy first day of May!!! 💚

I wanted to check in with an update—both as your mythweaver behind  The Mythseeker, and as the slightly feral, slightly enchanted gremlin-druid-hermit currently running mostly on tea, passion, and lunar vibes.

There’s a lot unfolding behind the scenes, and I want to offer some transparency—on the project, on my health, and on what it means to keep making meaning, even when things feel hard.

🌀 Where We Are – Volume 1 Progress

Volume 1 of The Mythseeker is deep in the editing and polishing stage—likely the third major rewrite, though at this point, I’ve stopped counting. This phase is focused on trimming, grammar, and finding a consistent tone that reflects the story’s mythic heartbeat.

This first volume is the most “under construction” of the series—where I was still re-learning my voice, rebuilding trust in my creative instincts, and letting the story reshape itself around themes that have only grown more personal.

The actual volume began being tackled around August of last year. In the past few months I've really tried to ramp my focus on this. I've been pouring in long hours into it—which is partly why illustrations and extra art have taken a temporary back seat in the past few months (or I am starting a million pieces and haven't had time to finish them!). I want this first volume to be strong, but I also know I need to stop nitpicking eventually and let my beta readers take the wheel.

Speaking of: if you're one of my patrons and would like to be a beta reader (or even a “vibe checker,” if you don’t have time for a full edit) I’d love your help!

I’ve also been reorganizing my workspace lately: syncing platforms, backing up content, moving most of my writing to Scrivener, refining my toolset, and spending countless hours trying to improve my writing. This is helping me work more smoothly not only on the main books, but also the lore compendium, short stories, and bonus art content. The goal is still a late August release... but more on that below.

💭 Why This Project Matters

I think I started  The Mythseeker as a way to survive.

I hit a point after events in 2023 where I simply broke down and couldn't move forward. The stress was so bad it affected and rewired my body a bit. Some good--it seemed to kick me back into shape. Some bad--I struggle with eating and weight loss every now. But no matter... while there was no defined moment, eventually I was like "enough is enough". There's a lot more to this, but the Mythseeker project has been both a means to connect with others, heal, and find my creative voice again.

Despite loss, means to cope, some isolation—I want to rewrite old wounds into something new. To build a place where mythology and modernity could meet—where characters like Shay, Aiden, and Holly could wrestle with identity, belonging, and transformation. I joke that I started this project to learn how to draw modern shoes properly and simply was craving to mess with a vague supernatural story idea. Now, it feels like something so much more.

This story is what happens when things I grew up with—Studio Ghibli, Lord of the Rings, Tintin—alongside Irish folklore, trauma processing, and queer found-family storytelling into a blender and hoped for the best. It's a little scary, too. But I think after so many things... life experiences, being inspired by loved ones, beautiful animations like The Secret of Kells... I want to share this with everyone, I and I truly hope it can at least be a source of entertainment or hope.

💚 Life, Health, and Creative Survival

This year has been… a lot. Sadly, this is a lot of others too. It's a difficult time, and I want to acknowledge that.

Between my own health flares, caretaking duties, emotional overload, and the ever-intensifying pressure of world events, I’ve been operating from a place of near-constant recalibration, trying to find means to volunteer more, help my friends.. it's a lot. Despite being the infamous caretaker or mom friend, I've had to force myself to slow down and replenish my own cup. But that's good. I'm finally learning true means of compassion and self-love instead of co-dependence or fear.

I’ve also spent the last couple weeks caring for a fragile, abandoned baby bird (a mockingbird, I believe)—something I never planned for but somehow mirrors so much of my internal journey. It’s reminded me of how love is not just beautiful, but exhausting. How presence matters more than perfection. How I have to let go of control. That there is sometimes not always a right and wrong. I guess I've been praying for more strength these days, and this was the answer. Mythseeker is all about this. So it's good I got to experience this in a more contained, visceral way, if that makes sense. It's taught me a lot.

I’m still dealing with chronic health conditions, including fibromyalgia, hormone issues, and mental health recovery. And yet—there’s good news, too. After many months of trial and error, my lab results are finally showing improvement. I’ve lost over 100 pounds, stabilized on key medications (I'm taking so much less!), and found a healthier rhythm with food, sleep, and emotional care. That would not have been possible without the support I’ve received here. Truly.

I’m also deeply aware of the weight so many of us are carrying right now—especially as disabled, queer, trans, neurodivergent, immigrant, and marginalized people face new waves of cruelty and injustice. That weight enters my work. It always has. I want The Mythseeker to be more than escapism. I want it to be a portal toward compassion, resistance, and reclamation.

Sometimes that means slowing down. I may need to focus more on volunteer and advocacy work. Sometimes it means saying: I’ll miss a deadline if it means I show up more fully human on the other side. Thank you for allowing me the grace to do that.

I will keep prioritizing the quality and soul of the project over rushing through it. If we need to move the launch from late August to early fall or winter, I’ll let you know—but I still believe we can make it.

🌱 What’s Coming Next

Here’s what I hope to slowly roll out in the weeks ahead:

• Patron-exclusive content like process videos, concept art, works-in-progress, and writing snippets

• Silly side content, doodles, and memes

• Process tutorials and behind-the-scenes peeks (how I organize my lore, how I outline, how I structure a creative life around chronic health)

• Blog posts like this!

Your support is what makes this possible. Whether you’re here for the art, the story, or just the encouraging energy, thank you. This Patreon is currently my sole income, and nearly every cent goes directly into either creative production or medical needs. Every bit helps me stay afloat and keep building the world of Myth.

(P.S. Financial Transparency & Sonic Disclosure)
As frugal and careful as I am about where every bit of support goes, I will admit... yes, I occasionally bribe myself with a Sonic run. 😅

Living in a rural area, I don’t have many nearby options (though a tiny coffee shop just opened—tempting, but I still prioritize costs). Sonic ends up being one of the only spots I can reach when I get car access, and honestly? It’s been a great excuse to leave the house, touch some grass, and remind myself what the sun looks like. So if you’ve ever wondered if your support bought a Route 44 diet cranberry limeade to lure this feral gremlin into fresh air—yes. Yes it did. And it helped. Thank you.

🌙 Final Thoughts

I don’t know if I’ll ever be someone who ever will 'arrive'. It's an eternal journey; I must treat the good and bad as sacred, means to keep fighting and means to keep hoping. But I do know that I’m still walking, still drawing, still writing, still wanting to help and love as best I can.

And I’m grateful you’re here beside me. We’re weaving something mythic, one page at a time.

With gratitude and weird bird energy (whom we are not naming but if I did they would be Bishop),

💚 Susannah