Heya, folks. It's Thanksgiving in America today, and while I'm taking a little break from doing chores and making preparations for cooking food for everyone, I wanted to take a little moment to just sorta vibe and think a bit about my past, present and future here.

TL;DR - Don't worry, this is nothing bad, and no breaking news/major changes or anything like that! Just doing some general holiday blogging about random things.

Take my word for it, folks: time goes very, VERY fast. You might not know it yet, but it does. It's all the more reason to carpe that diem every chance you get. Life isn't perfect, and there are always bad times. But even those bad times remind me of how important it is to treasure life that much more. All emotions, good and bad, are reminders of this incredibly tiny, short existence we all get to share.

Now, I'm not saying that you need to seize the day by being productive or doing something extravagant. The was something it's taken me a long time to learn. Productivity is good. It's helpful. It makes your mark on this world. But at the same time, sometimes seizing the day can be as simple as giving yourself some chances to sleep in; watch some videos; play a game or two; talk to a friend. Self-care is important. And this "burn the candle at both ends" idea some parts of society have conjured up is absolutely ridiculous. Work at your own pace for what you think you deserve, as best as life will let you.

As I said, though, time moves so damned fast. I still think of The Pokemon Trainer as one of those "new comic ideas" I was toying around with, and I clearly remember working on those first couple of pages and thinking how far I'd come... and THAT was in 2014.

The past few years have been a bit of a crossroads for me. And while a lot of that was spent frustrated and saddened at what I felt (and still feel, to some extent) to be a plateauing of sorts... The past couple of months have really been eye-opening for me in a good way. Partially with some positive changes in my daily home life, and partially from the overwhelming response to the Transform Me! series returning.

Don't get me wrong. I figured it would do decently well and people would be excited for it. But I vastly... VASTLY underestimated just *how* excited you guys would end up being. the list literally filled up in the time it took me to go out and buy some ice cream. That's insane. And for that, you have my supreme gratitude. And of course, I'll definitely see about doing more themed commission series in the future as well.

Moonlight Angel is still a thing. Even if it doesn't bring in the numbers I sometimes wish it did and I still have no idea how to promote it to a receptive wider audience, it's still my love and my passion project. And I do know that the comic, and the Istrala species as a whole, have a lot of diehard fans. I appreciate that a lot! Even if it didn't, sometimes you still have to just do something you love. And I love Rohan's tale.

My goal was to have this chapter finished by the end of this year...

...Okay, let's be honest, my goal was the have finished the chapter by the end of LAST year. But stuff happens and things get slowed up. Either way, we don't have much more to go before the adventure at large begins! Just keep in mind that it's a solo project and I'm no longer rushing pages out to make deadlines, just to later cringe at the artistic corners I cut to get there. I will likely go back to flat-color stuff after this chapter passes, but I want to nail the ending on this, so long detailed pages are the best way to do so.

Pokemon Trainer is also still a thing. As ever, it's one of those "pick at it when I feel like it" things. But I definitely don't want to make it another three years before a new page. So, we'll see.

Jackson & Jillian is basically down to if and when Brandon and I sort out the next chapter. It's a "maybe."

The treasure box teaser? DEFINITELY. Just working on the format and approach. It'll probably still be awhile before I get to it, but it's still there.

I still do videos and streams on my Youtube and Twitch pages, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu.....X9W28p6i7P6miw and https://www.twitch.tv/ryusutastreams . Mostly Marvel vs. Capcom 2 stuff, but I'm considering branching out some more. I've wanted to get more into Zelda 2 Randomizer, as I still feel that's one of the best and most criminally overlooked randomizers out there. We'll see!

So anyway, that's the business side of things taken care of. I admit that I do still have body image issues, as my 30s have not been kind to my waistline and I don't see that changing. But I'm in a loving environment with supportive people, and that has helped me very much to keep things in perspective.

On Friday, I'm gonna be out of state to get some electrolysis done, so if you don't see me online on Discord for a day or two, don't freak out. It's just a long drive and a long, grueling experience. XD

Anyway, that's about it for now. I say this as my sign-off on videos and streams, but I wanted to say it here, too:

Folks... Be good to each other. And be good to YOURSELVES. Because there is someone out there that is glad you're alive. Never forget that. Seriously. YOU. Reading this right now. I promise you this - you are a TREASURE. I love and care about you and want you to live, thrive, and survive. Stay safe, and stay kind.

For my American followers, enjoy your holiday! For everyone else, treat today like it's a holiday and take some recreation time. You could use it.

Peace!