...honestly, I can't really explain or rightly justify what's been going on these days...or these months, in this case. I just have not been able to get motivated, despite my best efforts and various tactics. My writing is falling by the wayside, and I'm very worried about this. It's not that I don't want to continue writing, or that I find it particularly difficult, but with the combined distractions in my life, I either don't have the time I want (when I have the desire), or I lack the drive for it (when I have the time). It's clearly affecting more than just my stories and such... To all of you out there, dear friends and new acquaintances both, I don't want to keep apologizing for my lacking presence. I refuse to give up, and truly want to get back to where I was (being able to chat with you all more regularly AND work on my writing, coloring, etc), but...at the same time, I'm at a loss as to how to consistently make that stick,

On top of all of this, I've had sporadic back pains that have kept me from doing much. Hell, sometimes it's enough to keep me from wanting to play video games and such at home. I've always had an irregular spine, and have been prone to back issues over the years, but it's NEVER gotten this bad, for this long. Sometimes it's my lower back, and sometimes it's beneath my shoulder blades, but whenever that pain rises up, it's like a hot, burning ache that won't go away for several hours. I'm looking into seeing a chiropractor, but I don't know how much good it will do, or if I can even afford anything like that.

I'm sorry to blurt all of this out, especially if it sounds like I'm whining, but I figured that those who have been concerned about me deserve to know the details explained. I don't like pushing things back, like commissions (which I WILL finish) and my stories, and I don't like complaining about my personal life publicly, but...well, it is what it is. If anyone reading this has any helpful advice on improving my situation or otherwise resolving my current issues, I would really appreciate some feedback. I don't want to keep going back and forth in this; I want to move forward, and take great strides towards my future goals. I want to keep trucking along, instead of puttering out every few miles.