FURRY CALENDAR
This is the result of your contributions to create a collective calendar with dates, events and celebrations that might be relevant for furries. Thank you so much for sending your ideas. I could not include all of the submissions, but that doesn't mean you can't add your own celebration. This is only meant to be a first approach! Feel free to extend the festivities, and even create your own!

The link will lead you to either a Web-viewable version or to a downloadable Goolge Calendar with more than 170 celebrations. If you choose to add these events to your calendar, they will become their own set, called "Furry Calendar", which you can toggle on and off. If you only care about certain dates, after adding the calendar, duplicate the specific event(s) into your calendar, andthen disable/delete the furry calendar.

Web-based calendar
LINK HERE!

Download the dates to your Google Calendar
LINK HERE!

Public address in iCal format
LINK HERE

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Why are there no month celebrations?
I deliberately chose not to include month celebrations. This is why:
- I am not here to be the arbiter of what is or isn't valid. I'm just a random dragon on the internet. For all I care, all of them are valid and worthy of celebrating!
- There is a greater chance that you will find out about a month-long event than for single-day festivities. Even if you find out halfway through the month, you can still participate. And by all means, do!
- It is unfair to species / characters / events who only have a celebrations that lasts 24 hours.
- Finding precedents and history for month-long celebrations is difficult and becomes hard to pin-point.
This does not mean that I am against month celebrations! Let's keep participating in all these fun and quirky collective events!

2. What kind of celebrations are in the calendar?
This is meant to be a tool for everyone in the furry community. Thus, the priority was fiven to internationally observed events.

Most of the celebrations have a clear precedent, and have a history of being shared festivities with an international scope. Only in the case of endemic or endangered species, an exemption was granted on national days to spread awareness for such efforts.

Pride Celebrations for everyone on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum were included.

3. Is that the official date for all these days?
Not so fast! Most of them are linked to a numer date, but a handful are tied to the day of the week, so they will shift from year to year.

Therianthropy day is the only date that is linked to the lunar calenar. It happens on the full moon of November. The next five years (2025-2030) are already covered.

4. I don't see my dog/cat breed's day-
It was deliberate, You can be very proud of the kind of dog or cat (or horse) you chose for yourself. They are gorgeous!

But the practive of perpetuating purebreeds causes real harm and health issues to these animals in real life. And some of the Instruments that promote the existence of certain breeds have dicey histories, controversies, or opaque motives.

Instead let's celebrate all dogs on August 26th, and all cats on August 8th.

5.Where is my favourite Pokemon / Digimon?
I am neither an expert nor a hardcore fan. I did not dive into this rabbit hole. I tried to include the most popular ones. Forgive me If I missed any: finding consistent and reliable sources was hard. Sometimes these dates matches the Pokédex entry, sometimes it is a play on words in Japanese, sometimes it's just because...

6. Can I still send a date to be added?
I don't want to become a gate-keeper. Maybe if there is an event I forgot, I'll consider adding it. But I don't want to get requests to include dates. You go ahead and add it!

7. How can I find other people posting about an event I care about?
You will find, on the description of each event, one or more tags (#hashtags) that are proposed to connect those celebrating a particular cause.

Be mindful! Some of these tags are for the general public so make sure to post them with the appropriate content warning labels. Otherwise post them under a more specific hashtag.

Some people have proposed the following scheme:
#BowserDay --> (SFW)
#BowserNight --> (NSFW)
we can use the same principle (Day/Night) to indicate (SFW/NSFW) for any date!

8. This was a lot of work. How can I thank you for making this calendar?
USE IT! Have fun! Add more dates! Make it yours! That is all I ask!

Thank you very much for being part of this!

I don't always upload art.

But when I do, I end up with 10% of my gallery all uploaded within less than 12 hours.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sorry for the onslaught of old art. I hadn't uploaded anything since May. I hope this won't happen again.

It was one lazy Saturday in a quiet neighborhood in the suburbs of a small town in Northern Mexico. I told my mom I was going to stay home and work on some high school homework. She had to run some errands, so it would take her a while to come back. Siblings were away too. Maybe at soccer practice, or tagging along with my mom... details are somewhat blurry.

Whatever the case, I wasn't only staying to do my homework. I mean, I'm a nerd. That is no secret. But I had other items in the agenda. Items that in my mind were a bit of an experiment. I remember thinking to myself, "just open an account, and see what's in there. You don't have to post much. Just search around, leave a couple of comments on the pieces of your favourite artists, and if you get bored, you can always delete it. Right? It's not like you have to commit to it for years. Plus, it's free!"

And at the time I didn't realize it would have such a profound impact in my life.

It was 2012.

After all, how could I?

I was just trying to make sense of who I was and where I belonged. I was in those days where I didn't want to be normal. That was lame. But at the same time, being different was scary and somewhat lonely. I didn't knew anyone who liked antro animals like I did at the time. I knew I as different. Weird even. But I didn't want to be a full-on weirdo. Those are very different things.

So I opened my computer, looking over my shoulder, and typed the all too familiar site in my browser.

_{furaff...down key... ENTER}

The button had been there all along, and I had resisted the temptation. A part of me was afraid that I'd be completely enthralled, and I'd end up devoting most of my life to the site. The more rational part kept me grounded and reassured me that it would be fine. Once again, if it got out of hand, I could always delete my account. Right? It's not like you have to commit to it for yeard and years. Plus, it's free!

Create an account. Username? You mean... my fursona's name? Was I even using that term correctly? It felt odd. I had never used a pseudonym. But I had thought about this before. It had occurred to me while I was walking my dog. And the more I thought about it, the more I liked it.

D-R-A-G-O-N-T-Z-I-N

Enter.

I filled out the form. And there it was. I had an account. I guess that made it official. I was a furry. Officially at least.

Maybe it's just a phase. "Maybe I'll get tired after a year of doing this. Maybe this is a fairly small community and after a few months I'd have seen everything there was to it, and I could delete my account. Right? It's not like I was forced to commit to it for years and years and years and years. Plus... it's free!"

~ ~ ~ 10 years later ~ ~ ~

It is a busy Thursday comming after work, in a somewhat vibrant neighborhood in the suburbs of a city in Northern Germany. My mom is away once again. But this time I wish she was a bit closer. She still doesn't know about those "other items" in my to-do list, that are not "homework-related". I ask myself if she will ever find out. Or whether I will ever tell her. My siblings are also away. Very far away. And only one of them knows.

It has been 10 years since I joined the community. I have been a furry for a full decade. It feels odd. Almost as if there couldn't have been any other way. As if this was the place I was meant to be. So many other events in my life make me wonder what would have happened if I had acted differently, or taken another path.

But not this.

Ever since that fateful day on June 2nd, 2012, I have not looked back. I became a furry and I wouldn't have had it any other way. It is part of who I am, and it has shaped me to be the way I am today. It has helped me understand who I really am and understand what role I play in a broader sense. I am incredibly grateful to this community, and to all of the absolutely fantastic individuals I've met along the way.

I've had tough times in my life, I've faced the loss of relatives, countless failures, medical contingencies, accidents, drama, worldchanging events, trends, graduations, travels, natural disasters, and of course... the same banner for the last five years! What is up with that? Believe it or not, there was a time when it used to change every season!

So before I become "Old derg yells at cloud", let me land this plane on a positive note. Or a dozen of them:

This is what being a furry for 10 years has taught me:

1. There is nothing wrong with being different. You can use it as a strenght.

2. You are never truly alone. No matter how isolated you feel, I guarantee that there is a person out there who would be delighted to listen to you and make you feel a bit more special.

3. There are many good people out there. The news make it seem like there is only chaos and despair. But that's because being good doesn't lend itself to attention grabbing headlines.

4. A community is strenghtened by openness and diversity.

5. You can't take a person at face value: not all cheetahs are fast, not all foxes are sly, not all wolves are big and bad. Dare to see past the fur/scales/feathers. Challenge those stereotypes!!

6. Disagreeing does not mean we cannot be friends. Dialogue and discussion help us see the world from a different perspective.

7. I guarantee you that there is always something you can learn from every single person you meet. You just have to be open to challenge your own ideas.

8. Being passionate about something is not cringey or shameful. I wish more people were devoted to a hobby, or a cause, or a mission! The world would be very differently.

9. The whole is mightier than the sum of its parts. Furries are a force to be reckoned with!

10. This is not a competition. Some people start off with plenty of skills, some people have more opportunities to improve, some people learn faster. As long as you are learning, and you are trying new things, YOU ARE FINE!! Don't fall for the trap of comparing yourself!

11. Your worth as an individual does not come from the work that you do, but rather from the person that you are. Actions speak volumes.

12. Dare to put yourself outside of your confort zone. You'd be surprised how far you can go, how much you can learn, and what marvelous friendships you can start.

I could honestly write a full book with everything I've learned from this marvelous community.

Is it perfect? No, not by a long shot. But despite its flaws, I love to be part of it, and I'd be more than happy to help fixing what's broken for the comming years. Another 10? 20? More? I guess we'll have to see. After all, I'm not contractually bound to being a furry. I can always delete my account. Right? It's not like you have to commit to it for decades to come!

And you know what else?

The entrance fee? Daring to accept that being different is alright.

Love yourselves you beautiful animal people!

Here's an idea:

I don't like being the bearer of bad news. But at some point we must face the truth. And the truth is that today we are living through the Sixth Mass Extinction in the history of our planet. And, for the most part, it is a result of human activity, either directly or indirectly. Habitat loss, illegal hunting, rare species trade, climate change, and ocean acidification, are only some of the reasons why we are losing hundreds of species every single year.

I know it sounds like a lot. After all, it is a lot to take in.

The furry community, at its core, shares a common fascination for animals. We can agree that they are incredibly amazing, and that part of our inspiration comes from being able to behold and appreciate their diversity and beauty. But all that is under threat right now. And we can't pretend like that is not happening.

So here's what you can do.

If you feel particularly generous, you can find plenty of organizations, charities and NGOs that focus on the protection and conservation of endangered animals HERE, and send them a donation. All of those rely mostly on financial support, so if you can afford it, consider doing so.

And if you can't donate, here's another way you can contribute. Because, in the end, we can't solve a problem if we don't even know where the problem is. So, do me a favour:

1. Go to the Wikipedia page for Lists of IUCN Red List critically endangered species (LINK HERE)
2. Browse around, check out the different categories, learn about the various organisms that are currently critically endangered.
3. Comment the name of the organism in this journal, and a brief explanation of why you chose it.
4. I will choose and draw some* of them as sketches whenever I find some spare time.

_{* this is NOT an open journal for requests. I cannot promise your comment will be chosen. Please do not ask for your own character to be drawn. This is about endangered species, not about you!}

That way, we can all be conscious about what we are losing, and help others become more aware about this crisis we are facing.

It might not be much, but at least, we can say we are trying.

Have a wonderful day!

~Tzin

I am opening my commission form again.

If you are interested, here is what you should do in four simple steps:
1. Follow the link down below. It will take you to a Commission Form where I will compile all your ideas.
2. Fill out the form at a leisurely pace, making sure you understand everything there, and most importantly you fully describe your idea for your commission. PLEASE ONLY SUBMIT ONE IDEA. Otherwise, won’t consider you for the selection process.
3. 24 hours after I post this, I will close the Commission Form, and from the responses, I will pick at random 5-6 ideas (depending on the complexity), and I'll work on them throughout the month.
4. If you are among the lucky winners of this draw, CONGRATULATIONS! You will get a picture drawn by yours truly, and I will contact you shortly to precise all the necessary details.

If you don’t get picked, don’t worry. I will keep the responses and I might use them later depending on how fast I can finish this first batch.

If you have already submitted an idea, and it has not been chosen yet, it will still participate in the draw. You do not have to submit your idea again. If you wish to change it in any way, please send me a note/message and I'll address it individually.

If you’re in a position where financial giving is not possible, I completely understand (I’ve been there for a long time) and keep on the lookout! I might open some other possibilities for you to participate in the future. I appreciate your continued support, and you are the reason I keep on making art.

If you have already gotten a commission from me, I would appreciate if you allow others to get a chance. I promise I will get back to you in due time, but for now, I will likely prioritize new customers.

Here is the link to the commission form: COMMISSION FORM

Thank you so much for your support!!

Have a fantastic day!

~Tzin

Hello, my fellow furry community! It is I, once again! It has been almost a year since I wrote my last journal, and ohhh boy, what a year it has been!! Wouldn’t you agree?

Anyway, you probably didn’t click on this journal to read about my vicissitudes. As you can see in the title of this journal, I am currently open for commissions.

Here is how it will work. If you are interested, here is what you should do in four simple steps:
1. Follow the link down below. It will take you to a Commission Form where I will compile all your ideas.
2. Fill out the form at a leisurely pace, making sure you understand everything there, and most importantly you fully describe your idea for your commission. PLEASE ONLY SUBMIT ONE IDEA. Otherwise, won’t consider you for the selection process.
3. 24 hours after I post this, I will close the Commission Form, and from the responses, I will pick three (3) sketches, one (1) flat colour/basic shading, and one (1) full picture at random, for a total of five (5) slots. Sequences are considered in their respective artwork level.
4. If you are among the lucky winners of this draw, CONGEATULATIONS! You will get a picture drawn by yours truly, and I will contact you shortly to precise all the necessary details.

If you don’t get picked, don’t worry. I will keep the responses and I might use them later depending on how fast I can finish this first batch.

If you’re in a position where financial giving is not possible, I completely understand (I’ve been there for a long time) and keep on the lookout! I might open some other possibilities for you to participate in the future. I appreciate your continued support, and you are the reason I keep on making art.

LINK TO COMMISSION FORM

Thank you so much and lots of luck to everyone participating! I can’t wait to read your ideas!

Best wishes for this year!

~Tzin

Okay. Here we go...

[Abridged version at the end]

So, for the longest of times I have been trying to improve my style and my skills to a point where I'm somewhat happy with the outcome. I know my art is far from perfect and I can only wish I'll continue learning as we move further into the future.

It is nice to do this as a hobby for myself and I wouldn't have it any other way. But I also would like to share my skills and put them at the disposition of others who might have interesting ideas, amazing characters, and/or the generosity to offer me money in exchange for the art I can create. Thus I would like to open for commissions in the near future (i.e. this year).

One of the reasons why I have not yet opened for real commissions has been a pervasive insecurity about my art being "good enough". Enough so that anyone would be even interested in paying to see something drawn by me. Thanks to the support and motivation from my dear friends in the fandom, and their non-stop praise, I've been able to overcome this, although it occasionally still puzzles me why someone would be so eager to engage in such transaction. Impostor syndrome, maybe?

A second reason was the logistics, as I've never been too good handling money (and I'm still nowhere near "apt enough"). It makes me anxious and I have the constant feeling that something's going to go wrong, and I'll end up clicking the buttons that will make everything disappear, or even worse, incur in some unintended tax evasion schemes (seriously, I have nightmares about that). But at the end of last year I made an experiment that went surprisingly smoothly and remarkably well, so assuming that this can be replicated further, I would be open to give it a shot.

Finally, the third reason why I have been reluctant to open for commissions is that I am still very slow at working and not consistent enough: sometimes I have plenty of time to work on a piece, but other times, work and school just swamp me with stuff to do. And —at least for now— those take priority over my hobbies, so I cannot stick to a neat schedule and put even more deadlines on myself. Unless of course, I want to sacrifice my already messed-up sleep schedule. My fitness tracker silently judges me from my left wrist.

So if I commit to this endeavour, I want to make it right and offer you a service that is satisfactory and as seamless as possible. I want you to get exactly what you want. I want to make you feel like the money you spend and the time that you wait are all worth it. I want to do this right from the start.

So given my inexperience and dire need for guidance, I would appreciate if you had some input about how to open for commissions properly. What are some good purchase experiences that you've had? What are some of the bad ones so that I can learn from them? What are essential things to consider? Feel free to be as specific or as general as you want: Random draw vs first-come-first-serve? Bet time to announce? Number of slots? Pricing? Etc... etc... etc...

This is all a very wordy and lengthy way of saying...

TL;DR: I want to open commissions in the near future. If you have any advise or recommendation about how to do it right and what are common mistakes to avoid, please let me know!!

Thanks and have a fantastic day!!

I noticed that I have a bunch of pictures that never made it into my gallery here in FA, which I made in the past four months or so. I hope you don't mind me adding them all in quick succession.

That's it, have a nice day!

This journal comes to you in the following two parts:
— A glimpse into the life of a dragon
— A peek into the near future

So feel free to read any section you might feel like. Comments are always welcome and encouraged.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The life of a dragon


Graduate life is going alright. I really do enjoy the topic I chose and the classes I've been taking so far, to the point where I look forward to waking up and starting a new day. Holding a half-job in the lab is also engaging as well as challenging, which spices things in my life and drives me towards a better version of myself. I've found that what works for me is to fill as many hours of my day with activities I enjoy doing, while keeping a healthy amount of diversity among them: sure I love working in the lab, but I would not do it for 12 hours straight. Same goes for taking classes or drawing. People do say it is all about having a balance.

As part of these activities, I joined a Capoeira Club this past month and I've been practicing this charming, Brazilian martial art once per week. I had practiced it before during high school, and I loved it, but having moved from city to city, it was hard to find places where I could join such group. I find physical activity one of the pillars of a healthy lifestyle, so coupling this with 30-60 min of jogging at least five times per week has worked for me quite well.

Among other novelties in my life, I've become a vegetarian since February, and I've liked the experience wholeheartedly. During college I set my goal to reduce my meat consumption in general and stick to vegetarian breakfasts and dinners. But having moved to a new city where there are more opportunities for this kind of lifestyle, motivated me to forego meat, and dairy entirely. Even while the first months had their ups and downs, today I feel like it was a good decision, and one I'll be happy to commit to.

The reason I went vegetarian in the first place is environmental. I want to feel like I'm contributing at least partly to the reduction of my carbon footprint. Following a plant-based diet has one of the largest reductions in greenhouse gas emission that any individual decision can have. And even when I still occasionally get a craving for chicken wings or tuna, the sustainability of the world is well worth such comparatively puny inconvenience. If you're interested I could make a more in-depth journal about this in the future.

Finally in this section, I wouldn't like to miss my opportunity to join the June bandwagon of the Pride Month, and be vocal as a proud asexual. This fandom has really helped me understand who I am and what I want to become in the future. I've come to terms with my sexuality and I have felt part of a community of supportive and exceptionally inclusive individuals. In short, Ace folk take the cake. And obviously, speaking in wider terms, the entire LGBTQ+ community has been an inspiration to learn more, to challenge my views and to listen to the experiences of plenty of fascinating guys, gals and everything in between. So enjoy all the colours of the rainbow. Don't be afraid to be an ally. And remember that diversity is the cornerstone of progress.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The near future

So what have I been up to recently? Not too much. I wish I could commit to more and bigger projects as part of my activity in this site. But I cannot dedicate too much time to my art unless I'm willing to sacrifice my academic or working life. For now, I feel okay with this balance, even when it means my progress and improvement is greatly diminished.It will take me longer to become better at what I do, but eventually we'll get there. In the end, it's all a matter of time.

As it currently stands, I have two trades on the making:
1.  fatty-sashimi ]STATUS: Sketching (go see her part here)

2.  kygen STATUS: Brainstorming

As it stands now, I am currently
CLOSED for requests
CLOSED for trades
CLOSED for commissions

Any changes to these will be opportunely provided. Additionally I have a few ideas that might become full pics to a greater or lesser extent depending on my available time. For those you are welcome to contribute through my Ko-fi account or sending over some Shinies. Otherwise, +favs, comments, and +watches also count as support, and any kind of support is deeply appreciated.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The conclusion

Have a wonderful day, a lovely week and a happy pride month! I wish you all my very best. Remember to be kind to those around you, try to understand their complexity and offer any kind of help you can provide. Also keep in mind you are a valid, valuable, and loved individual, and if you don't feel like so, please don't keep it to yourself. Ask for help. Go to your family, or with your friends, or with a therapist... Don't keep it to yourself. You are not alone.

:D

[EDIT: made a misake, poited out by Raeth, I jog roughly five times per week ]

It has been quite a while since I last posted a journal here. So here it is, in case you're wondering how my life is going.

I graduated from my Chemical Engineering Bachelor Degree back in December 2017. It was quite an exciting moment in my life. Every single all-nighter and extra cup of coffee was worth it. So if you're still in college, HANG IN THERE! You can do this! Believe in yourself. It will be worth it in the end, just try to make the most out of it and enjoy it while it lasts.

After my graduation, I ended up working as an English tutor for eight months, saving up money, while I applied to get enrolled into a Masters Program. I went back to my parents house and I gotta admit that the shift was very difficult to go through. It was as if I lost the ability to live in close proximity to other people. Even when these people were my own family. I tried to enjoy it as much as I could, but I still missed living alone.

In the meantime, I have come to terms with the fact that I am asexual. I have reshaped my life plan and I'm happy with focusing on my professional career and my hobbies. Since last year I have been coming out gradually to my friends. I've had a remarkably good experience as they have all been very supportive, and they have posed all the great and insightful questions that help both them and myself understand this facet of my life even better. The next step I would like to reach is coming out to my family, but that might have to wait a bit longer since...

I got admitted into a International Masters Program in Hamburg! Since last October I've been living on my own, and being back in school has been great so far! I know this is not the case for many, but I really missed the thrill of learning new things, and in general the feeling of being part of something. Having a routine —even if it is pretty constraining and time-demanding— keeps my mind sharp and my attention focused. Plus, the classes have been extremely interesting as they complement my Bachelor Degree really well. I've also met so many interesting people and I have done some sightseeing and traveling around in Europe with the money I saved. I'm so grateful about getting this opportunity and I can only wish to make the most out of it!

In terms of art, I have been on a dry spell until perhaps a week ago. I had no inspiration to draw or to work on the pieces I owed. But I finally managed to drag myself back to do what I had been putting off for the longest time, and it feels great to do what I love. As my first semester is coming to an end, I've had some more spare time to work on my art. So maybe I'll be uploading some sketches and pics here and there. Maybe not the best quality, but I'll try to get some well-needed practice.

Finally, I would like to address all my friends here. I have been very flaky in the past, and I would like to apologize for that. I would love to really express how much you all mean to me. Your long term friendship has made me a more confident and more socially capable individual. I wish I could go into the details of how much fun we've had in the past, or how many hardships we've gone through. Yet words are not enough to describe what I feel. If you've ever engaged with me in any form, I want you to know I appreciate you. I want you to know, I treasure you. Even if it was just a simple comment, a casual shout on my profile, or a thoughtful note; you've most likely put a smile on my face.

And that's powerful.

Thank you so much for reading through this. I'm making a poll on Twitter, to see what I should do to celebrate finally braking the 1,000-watcher milestone, so if you have an account, go vote HERE, otherwise, let me know any thoughts or questions you might have about Tzin and I'll gladly answer you to the best of my knowledge.

All the best!

~Tzin

Those who have a Ko-fi account:
—How does it work?
—Would you recommend it?
—Have you had any positive experiences?
—Have you had any negative experiences?
—Do you know any similar services?

General public:
—Would you be willing to pay for my drawings? (YES/NO)
—Which of the following would you be interested to pay for (check all that apply):
○ Commissions
○ YCH auctions
○ WG drives
○ Other: ___ (Please specify)

Have a wonderful day and remember you are AWESOME!

Congratulations to commenter #3, A.K.A.  worldtraveler for being the lucky winner of this free art raffle!

Here's the link to the video showing the complex procedure used to pick the winner (going into random.org and simulating a lucky draw!), in case you want to check for legitimacy. Just be sure to ignore the first minute or so of the video, since setting up a recording of my screen seems to bee too much for a technologically-impaired dragon. Anyway, here's the LINK.

Thanks for everyone who participated. I'll shortly contact the winner to settle on the reward!

Stay tuned for more of these! Otherwise, have an amazing day.

I did it! I reached 900 watchers! Thanks everyone for your trust and your attention! It's been a long voyage, full of winding paths, ups and downs, successes and failures... but most importantly, full of lessons learned. And you are the wind that pushes this sailboat towards (hopefully) promising lands filled with adventure and excitement.

Words aren't very effective to express my gratitude, and since a picture says more than a thousand words, here's my offer:

Each one of you will have a chance to win a free flat-colored picture done by yours truly, by following the following simple steps:

1. Make sure you're among my watchers. So hit that "+Watch" button on the right top corner of my profile page. Simple enough, right?

2. Leave a comment in this journal, answering the question: "WHAT THREE THINGS COULDN'T YOU LIVE WITHOUT?". You can answer it as verbosely, or as succinctly as you please. Honest answers are welcome, but so are comical ones. Be creative.

3. I'll randomly select one lucky commenter to be the winner of the —not so coveted— prize! The details for the pic shall be then discussed directly with the participant.

So what are you waiting for? This is your chance! I'll assign you a number to let you know you are considered in the contest. You have 24 hours to comment after this journal is posted, so no time to lose! The winner will be announced on Saturday June 2nd, 2018.

READY? SET? GO!

In a bit more than two weeks I'll celebrate my 6th year as a part of this community, and since I've never acknowledged that date —and considering I'm well overdue keeping this site up to date and devoid of cobwebs—, here's a list of things for which I'm thankful after all this time being a member in this site:

1. I've found who I really am. A furry, an asexual, an artist, a friend, an apprentice, a citizen of the internet, and much more. Thanks to the hundreds of people I've had the chance to meet, interact with and befriend, I now have a very good grasp on who I am and what I can become. Before FA, I felt alone. A true oddity in a sea of "normalcy".

2. I've learned to say NO. I have realized that as much as I want to see others being happy, I cannot satisfy the cravings and the desires of everyone around me. I am better now at finding the balance between yielding and demanding. "No" is not a word that should be avoided, but rather a tool with which you respect others as you respect yourself. And that is OK.

3. I've improved in my art. I am not as good as many artists out there. That is a given. But I do feel like I have improved my style and my skills at drawing furries. Plus, I have grown fond of doing it. I constantly try challenging myself to do more complicated scenes and I love receiving critiques from more experienced individuals out there.

4. I've made amazing friends all over the world. Mexico, the US, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, France, Brazil... and many more I might be forgetting! Wonderful people, doing remarkable stuff at their own level. Starting new businesses, pursuing their dreams, beginning new job opportunities, fighting against the dread of college courses, or corruption, or financial stability, yet always willing to hear me, support me, and motivate me. Fur, feathers, scales, wings, tails, claws, snoots, all hidden away from common humans, trying to always be better and make a better world one day at a time.

5. I've harnessed the power of the Internet. After being aboard a spaceship, following a truck driver, investigating around some undisclosed bakery with a very suspicious dragon, going all the way back to the Middle Ages, and visiting my friends across the sea... my adventures have led me to places I had never even dreamed of. All without even having to get anywhere near an airport!

I could go on for ages, but you'll have to make do with these. Sure, this is not the perfect site, but at least it has changed my life for the better. And I can only look forward to all the things I'll get in the future from this wonderful community!

Have a great day, and enjoy life. In the end, it is there to be enjoyed.

TZIN'S CRAZY COMMISSION QUEUE:

1.  silverzeo (DONE) – http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24925098/
2.  tyrex_kyuris (DONE) – http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24925144/
3.  shadowofdreams (DONE) – http://www.furaffinity.net/view/27436530/
4.  verace (DONE) – http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24925189/
5.  bananacreamape (DONE) – http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24939297/
6.  linkclx (DONE) – http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24944892/
7.  rikes (DONE) – http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24944937/
8.  abthegreat (DONE) – http://www.furaffinity.net/view/25301528/
9.  tylerfurlong (DONE) – http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24975151/
10.  valeyard (DONE) – http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24975250/

Thanks so much to everyone who has participated, and to those waiting in line, I promise I'm working as fast as I can. Be patient, I'll get to you... eventually.

If you have no idea what is this, you can see what I'm talking about checking out my friend, Cedric's journal right HERE

Hooray! EIGHT-HUNDRED watchers! I'm ecstatic!! Thanks to all of you who have made my experience in this fandom endlessly amazing!

---

And now, one of my silly short poems ('cause I write them when I'm happy):

A jolly green dragon can no longer decide
what reason to pick, to share all his pride
with plenty new watchers, the 800-ish pounder
ate too many tacos, so both figures are rounder

Thank you all so much for all the support and for encouraging to share what I love to do. I can't promise there will be more or better art in the future, but at least I can promise I'll try my best! So let's see how that goes!

Stay tuned for some interesting activities coming up this week. *cough* free art *cough*

---

After one last mighty tug, Tzin was reminded of the ominous existence of gravity. With a thud that most likely made his neighbor downstairs go in a cursing spree once again, the dragon finally was freed from the oppressive constraints of the doorframe. The one which he had asked one too many times to get widened, as it had seemed to become narrower after five semesters living in the same dorm room. He exhaled as he felt his weight shift around and his belly sloshed against the fake-wood linoleum. Finally he decided to get up, fighting against his nemesis —the nefarious gravity— to bring himself upright. As he did so, he awkwardly took his backpack off his shoulders and carelessly tossed it on top of this bed, only to realize how unwise it was to get rid of his only counterweight. Fortunately, the chair right beside his desk was there to catch his girth and break his fall, albeit with a resentful creak from the sudden strain. Another sigh. One claw popped his laptop open, and while the login screen loaded, his other claw reached for a jumbo-sized caramel-and-peanut-nougat-topped chocolate candy bar (his fourth one today), skillfully tearing the wrapper and giving the tantalizing treat one sizable bite.

After his incident with the door he didn't even bother to turn on the lights and instad, relied on the light casted by the screen and the few slivers of moonlight that peeked through the blinds on his left. After smashing his password for the second time (since the first time he messed up the last two digits), the screen flashed his dull grey desktop background halfway covered with recent files: at least a dozen documents under the title "Lab Practice" followed by an identification number, as well as their respective worksheets. Only looking at them elicited a yawn from the annoyed dragon. With a swipe and a click, the browser icon jumped up and down from its usual position. The candy bar was all but gone by the time the home page greeted the overweight anthro. After opening the school platform site, at least a couple social media pages and a music streaming service, he commanded the new tab to open the all-too familiar fandom. The black paw confirmed he had typed the web address properly, and proceeded to crack his knuckles and relieve some of the tension in his non-existant neck, causing his cheeks to press and squeeze against the flab on his shoulder and his second-going-on-thrid chin.

Was this the night when he could finally get to write the update he had committed to send at least two months ago?

Maybe it was...

The sound of wrapping paper filled the room as the page loaded and the blank rectangle raised like a looming, unsurmountable obstacle, with its blinking cursor rhythmically appearing and disappearing, conveying almost a palpable scorn at the frustrated dragon.

... or maybe, he needed one more of those candy bars to accrue just enough motivation.

---

Look who decided to show up in your journals! ITS TZIN!! Your highly unreliable and extremely absent dragon friend from what feels like ages. Here to apologize once again for being such a lousy friend. Summer came and went. I had the opportunity to spend three months working at a Research Laboratory in Canada. It has been one of the greatest experiences in my life... even if it meant I had to invest so much attention and effort on the experiments and the learning process, taking away time for drawing and even from hanging out with my online friends.

So here's the TL;DR version of the update

Here's my situation summarized into five main matters:

1. I am on my last semester of my Chemical Engineering Degree. If all goes well, I'll be graduating this coming December.

2. Graduating freaks me out. Adult life seems challenging. All I've heard is that it only becomes tougher from here.

3. I haven't been able to improve my art much. And I find it frustrating. No time means no practice. No practice means no improvement.

4. I feel like I'm growing distant from the friends I've made through FA. I just want to let you know, I love you and I'm sorry.

5. The chair under supporting me is about to collapse. Should I cut back on my taco consumption?

Thanks for sticking with my nonsense. Please feel free to leave a comment with your favorite snack food... I am craving something to much on before I head to raid the fridge for my regular midnight snack.

Anyway...

Saludos a todos! ^.-.^

Word play. One of my greatest weaknesses. And you know how it goes... with one careless tip, it quickly snowballs out of control...

...much like my appetite around taco trucks.

Anyway. Here are some silly month ideas I came up with. I would love to hear your own creative proposals. I was thinking about a cafeteria or a diner where each month they offer special combos or meal plans with silly names... I find it quite appealing to imagine a 400+ moose leaning over the counter (belly spilling all over the place) and ordering an "Abundant April" special with extra large fries and a diet coke, in a deep silky voice, while the waiter tries to keep a straight face.

Priceless.

Please share your own, or comment which one's your favorite. And by all means, if you feel like it, you may build upon this idea: play with it and imagine your own wild scenarios. I'd be glad to listen to all of them.

Without further ado... drumrolls

Jovial January
Flabby February
Massive March
Abundant April
Mega May
Jumbo June
Jiggling July
Ample August
Scale-breaking September
Onerous October
Nom-noming November
Doughy December

That's it... have fun and I wish you all an amazing week! :D

Lots of things have happened over the course of this year. I've had, as always, some ups and downs, some remarkable momentos and some that I would rather forget. Nothing new under the sun, other than the slightly overwhelming feeling of being close to the inevitable end of my college studies and the impending threat of real life becoming more and more palpable. I can see it, I can smell it, I can sense it, but it is still behind a gate which will open —if all goes well— next December.

And it's frightening.

So as doom encroaches and looms over my fragile hopes and dreams of a better future, I've been meaning to get my life in order. To define and redefine myself and to get things straight on a personal level. I'm trying to be more positive, stick to a healthier schedule (particularly getting more than five hours of sleep per night), learn to be more tolerant and open to opinions that diverge from mine, and generally forge my identity, with all the quirks and oddities that make me up. I am not a teenager —as tough as it is to accept and embrace— so it is both a blessing and a challenge to now face the future without having to pretend so that others might like you and include you in their social groups.

Those simple high school days are over, and it is time for me to be who I truly am.

So lately I've been reading a lot, getting to know people in my community and listening to their stories, their lives, their struggles. It really does help to empathize with people and try to imagine living their joys and pains. It highlights how complex people are in real life. Nobody is a hero, nobody is a villain. We are all in-between.

[TL;DR] All this has helped me realize something about myself: I am asexual

I'd heard the term before, but never cared to give it too much thought. I have never been a fan of categorizing and putting people into boxes. But I have come to realize that there is comfort to be found in being able to belong to a particular community. Just in the same way joining FA for the first time felt like I was no longer alone, being conscious about my sexuality has helped me explain why I think the way I do, or why I feel differently about things that many people find so mundane. Diversity is such an underrated blessing.

I thought I would like to come out here in FA before doing so in real life, as a first step, just to see how that goes. Someday I want to feel confident saying "I am asexual, bi-romantic and proud" out loud, so for now, I'll openly embrace that statement online. Baby steps, people. Baby steps.

Feel free to ask any questions you have, leave your thoughts on the issue, say hi (I've been remarkably inactive, and I should apologize for that), or express any opinions you might have. This is not a topic where I am 100% knowledgeable about, so it is always helpful to find out more through an open and diverse dialogue. I would be glad to hear if there is anyone who identifies as asexual as well.

Thanks for sticking around and caring for what I do. You are all my biggest source of motivation and I'll be forever thankful for all your comments, +favs, and +watches.

Please keep being awesome. The wold seriously needs more of that!

"Well, a new year has begun..."

And you are already two weeks into it, you late silly dragon

"Yeah, but I thought it would be nice if I shared what I've been up to lately. Don't you thi...?"

Ughh, I guess, but make it quick. I'm sure all these wonderful people have more important stuff to do besides reading your silly journal.

"Okay, so here it is. Winter Break came and went, and while I had lots of fun spending time with my family and working at a Language School..."

Look at me, I'm Mr. I-do-odd-jobs-because-I'm-trying-to-save-money! Such a braggy dragon you are, ain't it so?

"Shhh!! Don't interrupt me! So I spend all the time I had developing some personal projects and trying to bond with my siblings and my relatives alike."

And here comes the bad side of it... this dragon is so predictible.

"... so I really wasn't so active online as I planned to be."

Hahahah told you so! He's such an open book. You can see right through him.

"I really wished I could have chatted a lot more and befriended lots of people over while I had the time, but for some reason or other, I couldn't find the time or the energy at the end of the day to have meaningful conversations that weren't 'I'm about to fall asleep in any mom... zzzzz', and that's a shame."

Yeah, but still, you could have tried a lot harder. If you really wanted it, then you should've been able to achieve it.

"I did try! But I guess it wasn't enough. I made some overt promises and compromises that I couldn't keep. And I'm ashamed of myself because of it."

And you certainly should be, you lousy, phony fatso. You let down all those wonderful watchers of yours. Who do you think you are? You're such a diva!!

"No!! I don't want you to think of me like that. I am good... I can be good. Just give me another chance! I'll be a better friend, I promise..."

Again with your pointless and empty promises? Haven't you learned anything? All of the trades you've done have ended in you being significantly late: some for over two years!! You say you want to be a better artist but you keep messing up you opportunities by having the least reliable schedule in history!

"B-Buh... B-But... But I'm trying! I have school to..."

School??? You want to blame it on your studies? There are plenty of people doing a lot more than you in school, who still have time to spend with their fiends while doing whatever they like, and furthermore who earn better grades than you. Pffft! The nerve!

"I'm really trying! I have improved..."

Improved? When was the last time you participated in a collaboration with one of your writer friends? Huh? Or the last time you made a pic for yourself? You've told everyone about those 'brand new characters' you have developed for years now, and still you haven't got a decent reference of yourself! You call that improvement? If anything you are less active in this site than what you were two years ago. And far less funny for that matter.

"I thought this would be easier. I'm sorr..."

Yeah, you also thought that being inactive would have no consequences, and that throwing promises to the wind would be forgiven as if nothing had happened. Guess what, Dragontzin? Life is not like that. Life doesn't give second chances. Life sucks.

"I'm sorry!"

That doesn't help at all. If anything it makes it worse. You want other to take pity on you? Shameful! Disgusting! What a waste of time. Asking for forgiveness can't repair the damage and you know it.

"I know. I'm sorry."

Well you should be. Now get back to work and put that blubbery ass of yours into motion if you don't want it doubly kicked before January ends. You are literally the largest waste of time I've ever seen. GO!! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!!!

---

Quick little exercise of both self-criticism and self-motivation, that also serves as an apology for everyone out there waiting for me to respond. In reality I try not to be that harsh on myself, but sometimes, things have to be said that way: blunt and objectively. It hurts but in the end it is better for everyone.

So forgive me for my long winter hiatus. I will try to be as active as this semester allows me to be. And who knows... maybe I'll surprise you for once!

In the mean time, let me know if you have any recommendations, ideas, or suggestions for improving my work and practicing my skills. I can't promise I'll do any of them, but I'll sure read them and take them into consideration. Alright?

And —late as always— best wishes for this 2017!! :D

~Tzin

Huzzah! A new jornal from yours truly! This one inspired on  choice_d 's Journal on his five most (?) controversial opinions on several topics. And he tagged me maybe to promote a more tolerant and diverse community, maybe because he likes to to see myself struggle with these itty pieces of language some people call "words" or perhaps just for fun...

In any case, it is now my obligation to list 5 of the opinions that set me aside, like the colorful bundle of feathers I am...

5. In my opinion, the best scenario in the Fermi Paradox is... we're all alone.
First, some background: the Fermi Paradox is the idea that contrasts the apparent abundance of terrestrial planets similar to ours, within regions that could make them just as habitable as ours with the lack of signs of any intelligent or advanced civilizations out there. It is generally summarized with the —oversimplified— question "Where is everybody?". I suggest you read more on the topic. It is deeply fascinating and at the same time, kinda terrifying.

Okay, despite being probabilistically unlikely, the outcome I would like the most would be that we, hyoomans are the "most advanced" species in the whole Universe so far. It would make me pretty happy to find out that intelligent life has first sprouted —against all odds— on Earth for the first time, and we are currently the single most unique corner in the Universe. And I like this scenario not because it makes us special, but because somehow it justifies our imperfections: we would be the kinda failed prototype of what will eventually be a successful specie capable of understanding their position and value as a whole and not only as individuals.

Lets face it, as a specie, we could be waaaaaaay better than what we are today.

4. I personally believe alcohol is not necessary for significant social interactions
This one has earned me several heated discussions with my irl friends. I think alcoholic beverages are massively overhyped in any social context. And I sincerely don't understand why somebody would deliberately compromise their full consciousness in exchange for a "great experience".

Don't get me wrong, though. I am not against alcoholic beverages at all. I love drinking apple cider during holidays and tequila is one of the most complex flavors I have ever experienced. But I cannot understand the logic behind the need of intoxicating your body as a social requirement, so you can be a "normal" person. It just baffles me... And don't get me started on drinking contests!!

3. I find speaking about furry stuff in Spanish deeply unsettling
This one is more of a confession and I would like to know if any bilingual or multilingual furs out there suffer from this. I find English perfectly fine to talk about fatties and greatly enjoyable to paint written or spoken portraits of furs. But the mere thought of thinking about them in Spanish, disgusts me profoundly. I find the word "fat" slightly more appealing than what most people would find, but the word "gordo" (which is the litteral translation of fat in Spanish) is almost nauseating to me.

call me crazy, but it's gotten to a point where I actively avoid talking about weight gain, obesity and general fatty-related stuff in my first language, always stirring conversations away from the topic, regardless of the context.

2. I hate driving
With all my guts. It irks me. I can't stand it. And yet, I am compelled by society (and my own family) to do so. I try to do it as little as I can but the whole idea of surrounding yourself with a motorized metal cage and driving off through a series of flattened portions of land at speeds that our own anatomy would never allow us to achieve, always at the mercy of thousands of other —potentially less experienced— drivers, all while contributing to the global warming and the CO2 emissions to the atmosphere would never sound to me as the way to move people around. Like... when did this happen, and how did we allow this to become a normal part of our lives? How come this is the best solution?

1. I don't like sharing my opinions with others
If I was having a conversation with you, dear reader, I would rather listen to your points of view and ask you to give me your insights about reality than start a heated argument about these or any other topic. I don't like to share my views because I tend to believe that there is no point on doing so: those who agree will just confirm the same positive and negative perspectives I have and those who disagree will reject my viewpoint and become even more firmly attached to their subjective ideology.

So I hope you find this entertaining and not too wildly opposed to your own ideas. I mean no harm and if you would like to engage in a respectful discussion down in the comments, I can always give it a shot, for all it's worth... You never win if you never try, right?

Saludos, amigos! :D

Dear Mexico,

Let me get this straight from the start: I really like you. Your cities, your people, your food, your weather, your traditions, your history, your landscapes, your food, your species, your diversity, your general lack of comprehension on how a country must be run... your food... and yeah, tacos. They are all great and I can hardly picture myself living more than a week without eating something spicy, or singing one of Juan Gabriel's songs.

You are hard not to like.

Because after all I have grown and developed exposed not only to your wonderful traits, but also to your faults. No country is perfect, and you are far from being an exception. You are seen by many foreigers as a source of criminals and violence. You are often blamed to be the source of drugs and other ilegal activities. And to be honest, as much as I would like to, I can't defend you: your politicians are corrupt, your laws are seen as suggestions, an unsettling proportion of your people live in extreme conditions of poverty and most importantly lack the opportunities to aspire for a better future.

It hurts me, Mexico.

Today You expect me to be out there celebrating yet another year of the beggining of the fight for independance. The fight for freedom that started some 206 years ago. You expect me to be watching the fireworks with my friends, or stuffing my faces with untold amounts of nachos and guacamole. You expect me to get light-headed with a few shots of your pungent tequila.

But the truth is, you are getting none of that from me.

Why?

Because you hurt me, Mexico. Or as we say in Spanish, Me dueles, México. Because you have plenty of people who deserve a better life whle the greed of your wealthy strangles the working class, while we, the middle-class are too busy paying attention to the football (soccer) games, or those awful soap operas, creating a false sense of security in complacence and apathy. And right around our streets, there are some who haven't tasted a single bite of your oh-so-delicious-food in days!

I am sorry for you. And I am sorry for myself. Because you deserve better than a young adult ranting in some weird corner of the Internet, instead of making the difference.

Today I won't celebrate your Independance. Today I won't shout the classic VIVA MEXICO!

Today watching you laying on the ground, all defeated by corruption, beat-up by greed and dishonesty alike, sobbing and clad only in some tattered remains of what used to be flaboyant green, whilte and red colors, I'll whisper to your ear, suplicant:

VIVE, MEXICO...

... I won't give up on you just yet.

Congratulations to  scot-rahul for being lucky number 5*, and thus the winner among the 22 participants of the first raffle.

I have to thank you all for participating and answering to my odd questions with such fantastic answers! Here are my own answers, in case you were wondering:

1. 2 + 2 = 3.99999999999999999999999 (9 repeating). That is mathematically correct.
2. Favorite kind of pie, I'd say rhubarb & strawberry. (but I have never tried pumpkin pie... you guys seem to like it a lot, so I'll have to taste that sometime soon)
3. If I had the choice I would rather become invisible than read minds. It is one of the most challenging to achieve with real physics, so it would be nice to be able to bend the laws of our Universe whenever I felt like it.
4. I believe humanity will end up fighting against each other for the limited resources as the population continues to rise. A war will dwindle the stability of governments and then a major natural catastrophe or a runaway bioweapon will wipe out the survivors of the IIIWW. (Lets work on not arriving to that point please)
5. As for an artist who deserves to be watched and doesn't receive enough hype, I would totally recommend you check out, there are plenty out there and you all shared with me some amazing FA artists and writers (I really appreciate, and I have to say you guys really have some terrific taste! All of them are incredibly talented creators). But in my opinion, you should most definitely go check  ABtheGreat and  Forghetti GO CHECK THEM OUT!

So thanks again for allowing me to reach this wonderful moment, and I hope to keep satisfying your expectations.

...and be on the lookout for other contests like this one. You never know what us Mexican Dragons are capable of doing to spice up things!

---

* The number was generated using the services provided by random.org, to obtain a number between 1 and 22, assigned in order from oldest to newest comment. The generated number was obtained in a single event. Thanks for participating.

700 Watchers!!

Wow!

Just Wow!

I want to personally and individually extend my most sincere gratitude for allowing me to achieve this amazing milestone! It means so much to me to see you like what I do, because in the end, it is also what I like to do. It has been quite a while since I joined this community and though I've had my ups and downs, just as this site has had it's good times and bad times, it is amazing to see how much I've grown and hopefully, how much better I'll become in the future.

But most important of all is to know that none of this would be possible without you guys. Each and every one of you have brightened my day and I can't tell you with simple words how awesome you are.

T H A N K Y O U !

Now... It would be dumb to offer each one of you a drawing, since at my current production rate of about five pieces a year, it would take me roughly 140 years to finish (assuming of course no new watchers are added to that number)...

So instead, I will offer the opportunity to appear in a picture drawn by the rusty and falible hand of this humble dragon. That's right, this is my very first FREE ART RAFFLE. So what are you waiting for?

But before you scroll down all the way, ATTENTION! There are some rules: your comment must include the answers of the following questions:

1. 2 + 2 = ?
2. What's your favorite kind of pie?
3. Would you rather read minds or become invisible at will?
4. How do you think the world will come to an end?
5. In your opinion, who is an artist/writer in this fandom who deserves to be watched?

Submit your answers down in the comment section. Only complete answers will be considered. This journal will be open until Friday 11:59 pm CDT, and the winner of the raffle will be announced on Saturday, September 9th.

Thank you again, and I wish you all great luck!