Update Tuesday, Important News For 2023
3 years ago
There isn't really an easy way to say this, so I'll just rip the Band-Aid off in one go: 2023 may be my final year as a professional artist.
I've been mulling this over for quite a while now, and I'm sure it's been apparent that I've been slipping; long turnaround times on comms, inconsistent uploads, degrading health, a few breakdowns on stream, etc.. This journal needs to be a little concise, so I won't pad it with details, but mid-2020 to mid-2021 broke me a little, and created a workflow so disastrous that I'm still sort of recovering from it to this day. Bills don't exactly wait for your health, after all.
But, as much damage as it's done, I still love this job, and I want to try my hardest to keep loving it. So next year is going to be less of a fadeaway and hopefully more like one last giant push. Perhaps unfortunately, that means an increase in prices and more pushing the Patreon and merch. However, I may also be offering more stickers and dropping the price of prints. I need to find a rate that allows for a healthier pace before I'm completely burnt out.
The deadline for my decision will be October 14th, my 15-year anniversary on FA and as a professional. I will try to post consistent "mood updates" where they feel appropriate until then.
Until then, I hope we all have happy holidays together, and I wish us all a wonderful new year :3
EDIT: Aight I should have either just bitten the bullet and wrote a journal too long for people to read; or just not posted this in the first place. I am not quitting art, I am giving myself 10 months to decide if I need to find a new job. Aight? That's like six whole goddamn years in internet time. I would much, much, prefer to just keep doing this as a job, but it needs to be financially and physically stable, and I'm going to try and make it so. Plus, I am not going to die the second I stop taking comms, if we get the Bad End on October 14th, then it just means I'll have a different job. Goddamn. Way to make me feel like I've got terminal cancer or something.
Obviously I want you to be healthy, and sane, and to do what you gotta do. It's just... there's still so many things I wanted to get from you, and now I probably won't be able to.
This is... kind of a hit and I don't really know what to do with it. I just... I wish you all the best, going forward, I really do. But, at the same time this is kind of a big loss, to me.
But I'll miss you a lot... I should have harassed you more :V
You are just too good man! And I mean it in the whole sense, as a person, and as an artist!
I hope next year will be better for you and you won't have to leave, but if it's not - I hope you still will draw just for the love of it. After all, we sphinx artists are too rare as it is (:
Regardless I hope it all works out well for you :3
But either way, I hope 2023 ends up being a good year for you and you find a good balance with everything you want to do and need to do! π
Much love though, you got this ππ½
(EDIT: I am also gonna squeeze a few more commishes out of you before that deadline, for sure. >:3 )