as they say: nothing lasts forever.

As a general heads up, there will be a gradual decay on OLD offerings that will reduce their availability over time.

For example: on YCHs and Promos that are no longer featured in the "Open Sets" folder, over time, the available slots will be filled in and the opportunity to pick up items from said sets will expire. (roughly 1 slot per day per set)

Likewise with Delisted Dopts: over time, those will also dissappear (either retired entirely or converted to other uses for myself)


So ... yeah. Just letting you know so you don't get blindsided when that thing you've been on the fence about getting is no longer there.

... unfortunately, I am in SEVERE need of $250 in sales of dopts/commissions/etc to avoid legitimate collections due. Please contact me with any ideas/comms/requests and I'll make something work for you asap.

online, offline, anything helps. please message me directly.

So, I'm posting this with a mountain of chagrin. I ask that you read this journal in full before commenting (also, if you have a specific question relating to you directly - I ask you send a note).


good news first - finally got into the chiropractor yesterday. Had to take the day off to sleep/recover (he worked a number on me), but I'm finally healthy. I shouldn't have to take bed rest today (for once). And this is coming off a long chain of bad health issues that have knocked me out.

The problem is that my bank account (because i don't have sick days and i haven't been able to work or generate funding) ... is $700 in the red.
And again - this is due to me not being able to work for a good number of weeks.


Now, the real issue is that I owe a lot of people comms, still. Like, several from last year (unfortunately). So ... I don't feel a sale or promo is the right call.
Which brings us to the point = While I get myself back up to speed into the work flow (reality is that this is a momentum thing, and it will take a couple days to get up to speed ... and I'm sure once I get some traction I'll get a dozen angry emails) ... do you have suggestions for me?
- promo, contest, raffle, comm project?

If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

In the mean time I'll think about it as well and get your work done ... but I gotta figure out a short term solution to this debt issue I'm in.

I've gotten a couple questions on the subject, so I figured I'd respond to it

Some of the dopts in the sets may look slightly familiar - on occasion I'll take old dopts that didn't sell (i.e. 6+ months without sale) and basically recycle them. I'll retire the original listing, change/revise the visual design of the dopt, give a new back story, and see if anyone picks it up the 2nd time around. And yeah, frequently it works out to where these designs do get picked up after the design's been iterated.

So there you have it - it's simply me doing a 2nd creative pass on dopts that were passed over.

Made a simple/notable change in the adoptions offerings ...

Currently the only listed price is the adoption only price. (atm it's $40)

I do offer the option to pay for additional drawings at the time of adoption, however ... these options will now be priced out on the case by case basis. This will ultimately give you much more flexibility in what you'd like while keeping the sign-up sheet cleaner to read.

If you have other questions - send me a note.

I spent today doing these flat color updates so as to get them out of the way.

The full bodies and other commissions take longer, so I'm focusing on these quicker ones for right now.


I'm saying this because this isn't me trying to be a snot and stealing money. I've dealt with a couple notes in a row like that, so I'm posting this update. Finally in good health to be working (i.e. able to work productively for more than 3 hours a day), so I'm having to play some catch up.


AGAIN

If you're not satisfied and want a refund = ASK FOR ONE. Don't threaten me with a paypal dispute. Just ask for a refund and I'll get you your money back.

The following sales have their final day today ...

https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....-DAY-807290618
If you place an order where the list price is over $100, you'll get an additional 15% off the list price.

https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....-DAY-809551766
All dopts in my delisted folder are currently on sale at the clearance price. You can find the delisted dopts here --> https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....doptables-sets
which is basically half-off


I mention this because if you combine these offers together (along with any customer loyalty coupons you may have), you could easily 30% off the current sale price ... which is more like 65% off the regular price of these delisted dopts. Fantastic way to add to your cast/collection.


And to be clear = the ORDER is what needs to be placed today. If you can't actually pay until next week, I'm more than happy to work with you on that point.

Cheers! And thanks again for all the support.

2 bits to explain slight lull in productivity

- minor stress collapse, getting over that.
- ribs hella hurt. best case scenario they're just bruised. However the pain is getting worse, so I'm gonna go into the doctors to make sure it isn't a fracture or anything serious.

just letting ya know

A little birdie told me that there are some artists who are pestering my clients.

Basically - looking through my dA gallery to find who has made adoption purchases from me ... then asking those clients if they want to buy their dopts.


Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-competition ... but when people in a sub-market start resorting to aggressive sales tactics like this? It actually ruins the market for everyone.


So ... IF you get pestered by someone after purchasing an adoption from me - please let me know IN PRIVATE and tell me who's bothering you. (I say in private to minimize flame war nonsense) I'd like to be a little pro-active about nipping this problem in the bud.


Thank you

last chance to get in a discount with the $5 off sale.

As it says ... it's $5 off all dopts (open, delisted, similar, clearance, etc)

you can see more info here

https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....-DAY-806038635


footnote - as long as you send in a note today you can get in on the discount. I'll work with you from there.

I'm just gonna highlight a couple options here. This is so that you can get the most out of my spending bucks.

First off ... Ask yourself the following question:
* Do you adopt more than 1 dopt every other month?

If the answer is yes, you should subscribe to my Gremlins' Benefits subscription --> http://artofjonfreeman.com/Subscription.html
the key feature is that you do save $5 off every adoption. At $2 monthly, you'll come out ahead even if you only pick up a dopt every other month.

That should be an easy decision, especially since you get first dibs' benefit.


The other way to save funding is my amazon wishlist. (this one --> https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/.....?ref_=wl_share )
Basically you let me know upfront, so I can credit you, then buy an item from the list. You'll get payment credit equal to item+25%. Or, if you do the math, that's effectively 20% off. You can keep doing that as long as there's items in there.

Plus there's keeping an eye out for dopts on clearance, sales, etc.



So there you have it. Ways to allow yourself to afford more dopts. ^_^

https://twitter.com/_TrueTail_/stat.....65520899809280

Here's something that a friend of mine has been working on. his kickstarter's live, and the show has a ton of appeal. do check it out. ^__^

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/.....?ref_=wl_share

So I'm picking up the hobby of painting miniatures (now that I'm a bit more financially stable) ... let's make a funsies out of it.
Buy an item on this list, get 125% for use on an order. :D yay!


i.e. if you bought something that you paid $10 for, you'd get $12.50 credit.

Everything on the list is a one-off, which will dictate supply.


Naturally, if you're in the hobby of painting minis as well, let me know if you have other suggestions of stuff I'd need. I'm an absolute beginner, so I mostly stuck with bare necessities with the list.


Cheers!

https://savethejamboree.com
Here's a concise link. You'll be able to send the head of Disney Parks a direct email expressing your dissatisfaction with the current trend.

If, like me, you care about the Disney Parks = let him know. More importantly signal boost the hell out of this so as other people are aware of this development.



=========




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJjoBXtaYq8

So yeah, it's only "rumor" in that there isn't a public announcement.

And to put in perspective why this was something for Walt here's another vid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKj38-6LgMc

My basic fear is that the disney park management is falling prey to that same shallow short-sightedness that caused the sever dip in quality in the early 2000s, that era that produced monstrosities like Stitch's Escape and Tiki Room New Management.



Any rate, go leave a comment here about it.
https://wdwnt.com/2019/06/rumor-dis.....h-anniversary/

Thing is, this blog/news station is actually very influential. And a lot of disney park adjustments/repairs have been made due to their coverage.
So, it's worth it to leave a journal about it there.

Walt was very frequently quoted as having said this. And I think a lot of people (even within the company now) are losing sight of what it means = humility.

Humility, like most words in the english language, has multiple meanings and aspects to be derived from it.
(And I say this upfront because if you try to go merriam-webster on me you're going to immediately cash in most of my respect for you. You're basically labeling yourself as a simple-minded literalist)


Here's a few aspects ...

a) self-awareness
- you can do great things, but your great things can become better if you embrace the oddities of what you're doing.
- for example, walt made entertainment "for the child in all of us" ... which is a lot more complex than you think

b) be humble enough to know that you can't please everyone
- this is a bitter pill to swallow, but not everyone is in your target audience. Stop trying
- Know who you're making it for and be okay with the fact that it won't be everyone's cup of tea
- The example here is that while Disneyland was under construction Walt would check his vantage points while taking a kneel. That's because the perspective that mattered the most was the child's perspective ... one that he couldn't readily see while standing upright.

c) respect the past
- this is me being extremely blunt, but I feel that a lot of "I'll make the world a better place" is stemming from pent-up anger towards parents. i.e. "my parents didn't like me so I'll give the bird to all prior generations."
- thing is, what I've seen is that people who do this typically make ALL the rookie mistakes that the prior generation did ... if not moreso because they have a moral highground which means they're right
- humility also extends to "maybe you don't know better" ... and if you can embrace this you'll actually improve as a person as well as improve your craft. ... speaking of...

d) Get woke go broke. aka "the craft is most important"
- You need to maintain focus that your product needs to return a profit. If you don't, disaster will follow.
- It takes a lot of humility to accept that. It takes a lot of humility to say "this can fail."
- That phrase "get woke go broke" is vital because having a "moral obligation" does not make you immune to the reality of economics. But I've seen time and again where people will start getting hung up on how they're going to change the world ... only to realize they put all of their employees out of a job because the product stinks. Having a "higher calling" (regardless of religious, atheist, left, right, etc) is probably the easiest way to blind yourself.
- Again, there's a toxic teaching that "right makes might." ... it isn't the case. If it was the case college professors would be making millions and wouldn't be asking you to change the world for them.

and final point

e) respect the past
- again, great things have come before you
- great things from several people
- study the great things that have come before you. but be sure to study as much as possible.
- The less you study and the more narrow your field of interest = the more homogenized your work will become. Which also means the less you'll stand out.

A) Orders must be placed today
B) Payments don't have to be placed today (see the final footnote for more info)


So yeah, if you're looking to save some scratch, this is the 11th hour for doing so.


https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....5-31-797146105
DOPT SALE
$10 off all open, similar, and delisted dopts
$5 off dopts on clearance


https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....5-31-797698542
CLOSE OUT PROMO
this one's a little more technical, but it stacks with the dopt sale and can get you some serious discounts...
If you buy out all the remaining dopts from a set, you get an additional -$5 off each of those dopts.
Basically - look at the sets that were mostly sold out, consider just nabbing all the rest, save upwards of $15 per dopt


again, here's the links to the dopts you can buy
https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....Adoptable-Sets
https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....doptables-sets



https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....5-31-795961609
TAKE OFF EVERYONE'S CLOTHING SALE
$20 per character on big group pictures … without clothing and in cheeky/sexy Austin-powers-joke censoring.
So yeah, it's good for both cutesy duo pictures as well as en-mass ensemble pics



Also, if you want to place any other large orders beyond what's listed above - let me know and start the conversation. ^_^ We'll see if we can work something out.

welp ...

So here's the general of it.


The meds I was on previously kiiiinda took the edge off the pain, however it also gave me medicine head (or, as the doc called it - made me dumb).


So yeah, that basically leaves me with: learn mindfulness, learn how to accept and deal with it, work harder.



Anyhoo, that's why production didn't kick back up.
So, I dropped the meds. Went through the fairly mild withdraw transition, and now it's time to get to work. ^_^


Hopefully I'll be able to get caught up financially and all that. But yeah, there's that update.

Hit a pothole and my wheels and steering are acting wibbly. Another financial mess to deal with.


So yeah. Gonna keep at it, any signal boosting you can do will greatly help.

Here's some offerings to consider ...

https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....Sale-797146105
https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....romo-797698542
https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....open-797651017

https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....22nd-790162716

so yeah, it'll be a long while before anything else like this gets pushed. don't hold your breath for the next one

info on sale here --> https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....22nd-790162716

SALE ENDS - April 22nd

tl;dr = got medication and I'll just have to make due with it.
diagnosis is fibromyalgia which doesn't really have a cure, just a way to take the edge off things. just means I have I have to be stronger.

So yeah, you have until the morning of the 22nd when I wake up to get your orders in.
I would STRONGLY suggest getting the orders in prior to said date, however, as this sort of thing does tend to cause a rush at the last day which may cause you to miss out on what you wanted.

https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....date-790162716

promo news first, medical news after.

The promo is continuing! You'll have through the 17th to keep getting discounts (roughly another 2 weeks of joy).
To recap, that's ...
$5 off open dopts
$5 off clearance dopts
$5 off commissions
$15 off delisted dopts
$15 off similar dopts
$15 off custom dopts

If you have questions on any pricing or other offerings or whathaveyou, send a note and ask. More than happy to talk things over.

If you want to help, but can't afford a full dopt (or nothing catches your eye), donations/tips are welcome. --> http://paypal.me/jonfreeman
Just be sure to leave a note so that I can thank you. ^^


Did end up falling behind on bills due to the length of this under-weather business. So all the help is appreciated.


Medical news

So, the initial delay on seeing a doctor was because I was waiting on bloodwork.
Thing is, the bloodwork that came back was ... unexpected.
- The one test was a numeric measurement of inflamation in the body. As expected that was well outside the normal range.
- The other test was a newer one to measure for antibodies associated with rheumatoid arthritis. That one actually came back negative. 8\ So ... yay that there's no rheumatoid. boo that there's not an answer.
The second results is a legitimate surprise given how closely my symptoms lined up with it.

How that ties into the 17th...
Initially I took the first doctor available and was planning on seeing someone on the 2nd (tuesday) ... but that was me expecting my medical issues to be cut/dry diagnosis.
Since it ISN'T a clear answer, however, I'm going to wait until I can meet with the head of the clinic. I figure my best chance at getting an answer is going to be with the guy who has the most experience there.
That entails waiting for his next opening on the 17th. There's always the chance of getting in early with cancellation list, but with how long his wait list is hardly anyone cancels their appointments with him.

So, what am I doing in the mean time?
Well ... reality, obligations, and finances don't care about my health. So, I'm re-training myself how to draw so that I can get to work again. Also doing a lot of pain management techniques (stretching, meditation, etc) to push through.
So, basically I'm researching combustible lemons.

There's a lot to this issue that I could be talking about, but I'm being concise for time's sake.

Patreon is changing to a weird shared-profits subscription service model. 8\
In a failed attempt to communicate this, they released the following images...
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachme.....081/image0.jpg
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachme.....176/image0.jpg


...
now, where have I seen this before?


I know!
https://images.mein-mmo.de/magazin/.....rbestellen.jpg



... rip

https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....Sale-790162716
details in the link

so... had fun on vacay. that was fun. yay!
Expected to come back and run full steam.

...
unfortunately severe body pains actually got in the way of that. As in "enough to where it's hard to stay focused and motivated" level pains. I'm waiting for a referral to go through and get to a specialist.

Mean time, short run, I'm gonna amp up to max dosage of OTC meds and try to mitigate the pain down to where I can get actual output going.

Sorry again for the delays.

just giving everyone a reminder = final sale days for dopts

$5 off open, clearance, and similar dopts
https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....Adoptable-Sets
https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem...../SOLD-OUT-SETS

$15 off delisted dopts
https://www.deviantart.com/jonfreem.....doptables-sets

sale ends the morning of the 12th (orders must be placed before then)