So, I've learned that I don't like opening up about my struggles here, because people seem to take it as an opportunity to be rude and comment on how my prices or too high or my art isn't in the right style or whatever... but I'm really in a bad state right now.

In a few months, I'm turning 26, and I'm going to have to pick between not being able to afford monthly health insurance premiums, or not being able to afford the hospital bill if life decides to take a turn of cruel irony and make something major happen to me. For those not based in the US, here dependents are able to stay on their parents' health insurance until they turn 26 (or sometimes 25, or 22) years old, at which point we have to either buy our own private health insurance, or elect to get our own insurance through our employer... but you can only do the latter if you work at least 40 hours a week. Which it turns out I'm not as able to do as I'd like to be.

A year ago I worked up a list of goals to dedicate myself to to try to make some income from art part-time, but... nothing's really working. I've made 35 cents in the last month, and I'm admittedly freaking out at this point. I might have a couple possible conventions later this year, but everything's only a "maybe" at this point and it's all going to depend on how the COVID situation here in the US (which--guess what--is also awful!) is looking.

I'm sorry to get personal here on FA, but if anyone is looking to buy some merch from my shop or is considering a commission, now would be a really good time.