Okay I've been nervous to talk about this but I need to.

I've slipped in terms of my student loans, it didn't auto charge me for a few months and I thought that meant I was done without checking, but then I got a letter saying I owed 1800+ immediately and that I still have 10,000 left to go.

I've been stressed and I've kinda... receeded into myself for the last 2 weeks esp with how awful this week has been for everyone.

I need help to a degree I haven't before. But I also owe too many comms to take on more except for friends and past commissioners who I know can be patient.

Its bearing down on me to a degree where I'm kinda just unable to think or function in a way that would be helpful for my work. I need help, or i should just consider getting a second job that isn't this.

I'm not able to do what is needed of me with this constant brainfog and stress, I'm sorry. I just don't know how to picture things when my mind is like this, and I need to be able to picture stuff mentally to draw it.

If you'd like to help please consider giving me a kofi ko-fi.com/mrease

Or if you don't mind waiting like... quite a long time, like almost a year or something feel free to contact me for a comm, but keep in mind theres a LOT I have to get through before I can get to yours if you get one.

I might start streaming to FORCE myself to focus on my work or to monetize my hobbies, I've seen it work for some folks.

Also I'm returning to the Ammy growth drive sequence, I've finally drawn up something for the next part that has me pretty satisfied, but I got stuck on it for a while... getting stuck on things seems to be my MO at this point.

Sorry to everyone who's believed in me, but like everyone I don't... really know what I'm doing, I'm just making it up as I go along. Thats adulthood I guess.

Well... That december was a thing. I've never pumped out so much work or pushed myself so far, at least not since the growth drive.

I got every one of those owed comms done from the laptop breakage from nov 2022 with the exception of my friend Boli's comic which I am in the process of working on now. Thats 10 comms in the span of one month in addition to fun things I did for me. I am beyond floored. Next up are the comms from friends that supported me in the meantime to make it month to month last year. I know I can bang these out in 2-3 months if I keep my current pace.

It turns out that I stopped taking vitamins at some point last year and a lot of my issues with my brain fog, lethargy and inability to get out of bed at times were due to a serious vitamin defficiency, and the moment I started taking them again I just exploded with progress. This was all avoidable, and I did not need to fall so far behind, but I'm not here to dwell on that.

I ended up mostly fulfilling the goal I set on my birthday. I ended up getting almost everything I wanted to clear up by the end of the year cleared up, in the span of a single december. I can do this. Yeah, I am a little disappointed in myself that I took a 2 day break on christmas/christmas eve cause I believe I could have gotten Boli's comic done by now if I had pushed through it, but maybe it would have burned me out to miss it. I don't consider this a failure though, and the commissioner is a friend who does not want the refund I offered in my last journal if I couldn't make it for the end of the year, it will be completed either tomorrow or the day after, I don't think I can manage it in a single day, nor should I force myself to try, as it might make the quality suffer.

I will proceed to get all the owed comms from my secondary "friend queue" done in the opening months of 2024 and then hopefully by march or april I will just try to open up monthly manageable 8 comm queues to not get overwhelmed by the absurd amount of work owed ever again. And given what I've accomplished this month, for the first time in a long time I feel like thats actually a reasonable goal.

I love what I do, and I don't ever want to stop drawing for a living, I don't ever want to go back to that lethargic funk, afraid to do anything that isn't work, but completely unable to think for myself in a way that could accomplish it, just lying in bed trying to function and failing as I was for so much of this year.

And for the first time in a long time, I feel like... I'm good at what I do. Like I can actually transfer the ideas to the canvas again. I can do this... and being able to say that means so much to me

If you'd like to support me in the meantime while I finish everything up, and try to keep up my current pace, heres a link to my Ko-fi. https://ko-fi.com/mrease

I can do this, and WILL do this.

Almost a year ago, I opened up a commission queue in order to deal with an emergency. I took on a total of 27 comms at the time, something that seemed reasonable and manageable, and was needed in order to have a machine to even do my work on in the first place.

Almost a year later, it has been eating away at me that I haven't finished everything I took on at the time, too much and it burned me out. I have the list of every person written out, and I am pushing through, working on a comic at the moment, that should be finished for the weekend and WILL continue to push through them all.

I realize that its not professional to admit that I have personally failed my goals in the past originally wanting to be done that by march. And then by summer. And then by now. I didn't realize how much the last 3 years of a lack of self care through the covid era, had burned me out and just how much having to relearn my process from scratch would shake me to my core. I also learned I needed help with an ADHD diagnosis, which would help explain why I struggled to focus and adapt to the stress of a new setup/dealing with unexpected issues, and started to develop back problems from not taking care of my body. I also got so invested in someone else's mental health that it started to poison mine.

None of these things are adequate excuses, nor do I expect them to be. But I want to be ABSOLUTELY clear that I have a goal now, one that I am following through with. If I took your commission in November of last year (which there are 10 remaining customers who I owe work to from that time, Mazitos(who's comic is almost complete), Paperlanty (x2) Nearl, Boli, Otter Button, Glace o Lura, NMR, Reykreyth Soulmeleon and Air Winters, I am making it my goal to finish your commissions before the end of the year, and if I cannot than I shall fully refund you, provided that is what you want at the time (some have already opted out of a refund preferring I not pressure myself)

I have taken more on to enable me to survive while I continue to work on these, and those will be worked on immediately after, though I intend to do a drive in between that time in order to have funds, as I currently have nothing in my bank account due to my inability to quickly turn over my queues.

In the future I am only going to open up manageable queues of around 8 comms and try to have a more streamlined and openly communicative process. I apologize deeply the issues my burnout has caused, and I hope that if you are someone who is owed work, that even after all this time, it can be something that is personally satisfying and enjoyable to offset the wait. But I can offer more than my apology, I am going to ensure that your owed work gets finished to the best of my ability, and have been openly communicating my journey on twitter. (I just kinda... forget to make FA journals about all this stuff because I never know if anyone reads them)

Tomorrow is my birthday and its made it hard to feel like celebrating having this dark cloud over my head, and added extra stress that I feel rather uncomfortable with. I have no money and no plans lol. My hope is that by putting it out there that I'm feeling all this, openly communicating the stresses I have dealt with and my desire to complete everything I've set out to do, that I can push myself forward into the future. A part of learning about ADHD for myself is learning to make goals, that I need deadlines and personal accountability, but that I also need to learn to not let tiny setbacks or personal failures ruin me. So thats what this post is. A goal to push forward towards, personal accountability, and proof that I will not let my failures rule me.

Thank you for your time if you read all my ramblings <3

If you'd like to support me I have a Ko-fi that can be found here!
https://ko-fi.com/mrease

So... I'd like to apologize for the lack of art posts, and my general recent slowness when it comes to the completion of my current massive queue of comms. Last november I opened up to afford a replacement laptop after mine crashed, to a gracious 23 people along with the 3 comics I already had that I needed to stagger across the queue, and I have sadly only completed a few of them.

I realize that this is unacceptable, and I would like to apologize to everyone I owe to, I want to do everything within my power to complete them. However I have hit a roadblock due to obstacles from changing over my tech, personal issues regarding putting too much of myself in the mental well being/support of others to the point where it became almost like a job and, the most important issue thats kept me from achieving my goals, debilitating back pain that shoots up from my spine all the way down my right side/thigh, from ????, preventing me from sitting for long periods of time, affecting my sleep and ability to focus. I'm constantly fatigued as a result and struggle to get up.

I am going to go see a doctor and pursue this to figure out what it is. It could be sciatica from my weight, scoliosis, MS, or possibly related to a family autoimmune issue within the bones that my father and sister both have, but I have never checked for. I apologize for the delay its caused, especially when so many new people got on board my commission queue to help me. I feel like I let them all down, but I will not stop working and trying my hardest to make people happy with my art. I just need to take better care of myself, and ensure that I can be happy too.

I will however be getting a huge boost of joy and inspiration when I head over to Furnal Equinox this march with my friends, Chu, Sot, Junie and Scott. I hope to see folks there, I'll need to make a badge for myself so that people can recognize me. Its the shot in the arm that I think I need to be passionate and excited for my career as a furry artist once again.

Thank you to all my commissioners, and I am so sorry for the delay this has caused, I never meant for my lack of care for myself to get to this point where it so dramatically effected my ability to do work, and lead to me letting people down. I will continue to push through it, but I will also be taking the rest that I need, so it might take a little time, please bear with me

If you would like to support me, while I try to work through this please check out my Ko-Fi at https://ko-fi.com/mrease

Or, if you're a mutual friend/someone who has worked with me before, who I know will be patient, I could add you onto the end of the queue but I don't want to do /too much/ of that because it could get too large for its own good. Usually things being too large for its own good is how I'd describe my art, but not in this case.

Thank you for listening

18/04/2023: Back pain has been dealt with and I am back to work now! Sorry this took so long to push through, but I am confident that I got this.

While I am 1 comm away from finishing my previous queue, I need to emergency jumpstart a new one.

My laptop is experiencing battery swell which is making my trackpad screw up, and making my laptop's ability to hold a charge erratic and irregular.

I don't think I can do my job in these conditions. I need a replacement ASAP

While my growth drive got me through several months of student loan payments without having to tack on more commission work, I need to get a new laptop to be able to do my job, with black friday coming up now is the time

My prices as usual are 80 USD for a Fully Coloured Image (bg included) +40 per additional character or detailed panel (up to 3 additional)

Comic prices are 300 USD for a fully coloured or shaded comic with up to 5-8 panels

I really do need the support, its an emergency, I can't continue to work if I do not have a working laptop

Please help if at all possible!

Please communicate through Twitter DM's, Discord or FA Notes

My discord is Ease#3772

A few announcements!

The growth drive cutoff point is going to be 5 PM EST on Sunday! If you have any donations you'd like to make, or just like to boost the faves/retweets or likes, before it ends, please do so before that time!

Also sometime after that point, I will be opening a new queue! Theres still 3 that are owed that are at the start of the new queue, but the commissioners were told in advance that it would be the case!

Prices are the same as last time

80 USD for a fully coloured image, +40 per additional character (or panel with the amount of work as an additional character

300 USD for a fully coloured comic 5-8 pages (if you want less than that, say if you wanted 4 then it would be treated as a fully coloured image + 3 characters for 4 panels for example)

It might be a fairly large queue, both between the drive and the next queue its all for the sake of getting a new laptop because mine is 8 years old and struggling

If you'd like to support the drive at the last minute, you can do so at https://ko-fi.com/mrease

Hey everyone! As you may or may not have noticed, I am back from my break, and boy did it matter! Since I've come back I've just exploded in productivity and am back to my previous workload! I didn't realize how much the pandemic drained me, but now I am back at top form!

So I'm opening up a public queue for the first time in a long time (as previously I kinda kept it to friends and past customers while I knew I wasn't at my best)

However, there will be a major shift in my pricing, a part of my burnout was constantly having to take on more and more to support myself because I wasn't charging enough to make it through! So, here are the updated prices!

Fully coloured commission is still 80 USD however it only includes 1 character, additional characters are +40 usd each

Fully coloured comic commission from 5-8 panels, is 300 USD (up from 200) However this will include 2 characters by default

if you'd like a comic that is 4 panels or less, than I would simply treat it as a single with each panel being treated as an "additional character" so a 4 panel thing would be 80 + 40 + 40 + 40 = 200

I will not count necessary cutaway panels as "additional panels" (ex vore internals)

Please DM me here, on discord or on twitter if you are interested!

Twitter thread here, explaining why I've slowed down so much, why taking a break is necessary to reset my unhealthy practices, future trip and my tip jar

https://twitter.com/EaseNBSquirrel/.....98488315858945

https://ko-fi.com/mrease

Twitter thread here, explaining why I've slowed down so much, why taking a break is necessary to reset my unhealthy practices, future trip and my tip jar

https://twitter.com/EaseNBSquirrel/.....98488315858945

https://ko-fi.com/mrease

So admittedly, I have 6 more comms of my current queue to go, and I expected to be finished all them by now, I never expected to get stuck on one for so long (almost since the start of the month)

I admittedly need some help so heres my ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/mrease

Alternatively, if you are someone who I've worked with before who I know I can trust to be patient and understanding, and you are interested in working with me again, feel free to contact me for a slot in the next commission queue.

The remainder of the commissions in this queue are as follows

Moonlight+Foxxhoria comm
Saatchi 2 pages comic
ShinyUmbreon comm
Raul/Kibax comic
Tempo comic

Hoping to get all these done around mid december before opening up for real, I just need a little help to get there

https://ko-fi.com/mrease

I have been too slow recently (due to art blocks in isolation), and while I'm learning to get better about not beating myself up over my own pace, financially it caught up with me, and I found a 10 dollar purchase I attempted to make tonight had insufficient funds after my student loans were taken out...

As a result I have set up a Ko-fi in order to have an alternative method of financially supporting myself, its simply a tip jar, as was my patreon which is also an option if folks want to support me, though I do not post art to it any longer as I became worried over uploading there for... reasons

This will not impact the pace of my commission work anymore than its already been impacted by my own personal issues and struggles during the pandemic. Hopefully now that I've had my first shot and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel these creative issues that I've struggled with will occur a little less.

Thank you so much to everyone who supports me either through patreon, commissions or now Ko-fi, or just through liking and sharing my art around. It means a lot to me.

Also that pic as the banner is something I made from that mania week with my friends, and I just haven't uploaded it because I wanted to get a few commissions done first.

Hello folks!

I have just finished my previous commission queue of 15 commissions (featuring 5 comics)

It was quite a long personal journey and I struggled a lot to get through it.

I know I need a break but unfortunately financially I can't afford to do so. I've been in a rough spot financially over the past few weeks and I need to open up immediately

I'm opening up a commission queue again, although there are some price changes.

Fully coloured commissions with up to 2 characters are now 80 USD Additional characters are 20 dollars extra per

The reason for this being the conversion rate decreasing between USD to CAD, I'm making less money for the same amount of charge because the conversion rate went from 1.32 to 1.24 and is continuing to drop

Fully coloured comic commissions are now 200 USD (same character rules apply)

I know this is a huge jump, but I can't continue charging double the price for 6 times the work. Making comic commissions are more than they appear to be, theres a much greater focus on panel placement, establishing scenes characters, the amount of time that passes between panels, as well as drawing things up to 8 times (or more, when I accidentally go over)

As a result I usually struggle to make headway on comics until I get a good rhythm going and figure out where things should be, and its the cause of a lot of my delay in my last queue.

I don't want to discourage people from getting comics, hell I know thats why some people commission me at all, but I do feel I need to be charging more for what I do on them. And if it leads to less people getting comic commissions, then thats fine I can get more single image comms and get done my work faster

This change does not apply to people who have already agreed to a certain amount of comic commissions in advance, with sequences paid over multiple queues.

Thank you for your time patience and understanding. I don't know how large to make this queue, there are already some friends who signed up and paid in advance to help me pay off certain bills in the midst of my last commission.

I hope I can work better, faster and smarter than I did over the last 2 months, and maybe more financial security, (and less comic commissions will help)

Opening up a new Queue to be done for a 2 month period (though hopefully a little less! December was a bit of a personal ordeal but I managed to really push myself in January as I felt better and better!

The prices are:

70$ USD for a single fully coloured image with up to 2 characters (additional characters beyond that are 20 each now)

And 140$ USD for a fully coloured comic with up to 8 panels (same rules for characters apply)

As always I will be taking the first 2 weeks while I collect slots in the queue to draw personal stuff, though I think i'm gonna be a little more free about drawing personal stuff during the period where I work to prevent block, and keep myself sharp

Thank you for your support to anyone who has and who will support me. Please contact me through FA notes, the discord @ in my profile or twitter DMs if you're interested!

While going through my gallery to find my stuff for my best of 2020 pictures seen here on my twitter dot com https://twitter.com/MrEase4/status/.....00000967061505 I decided to reorganize my gallery into folders based on year, so please do go ahead and check some of the stuff out

Also check out my twitter and now lets all say it together!

Fuck off 2020 you ghastly apparition of a year!

Thank you for sticking with me all this time! I love you all

Heya folks, I'm opening up for the next little bit with a new queue. Theres already a few slots taken, and I think I'm going to cut it off at 12 commissions.

The prices are now 70$ USD for a single fully coloured image with up to 2 characters (additional characters beyond that are 20 each now)

And 140$ USD for a fully coloured comic with up to 8 panels (same rules for characters apply)

I need to value my time more, as several friends have told me and apparently I'm undervaluing myself and my work.

Please contact me here through PM's, on discord through the ID in my profile or through twitter DMs

While I build up my queue and for the next 2 weeks I'll be drawing personal stuff for myself as to ensure that I don't burn out and create the content I want to create. Also I've been a little slower than normal but given everything going on, thats to be expected and I'm trying not to be too hard on myself

Thank you for understanding!

Hey I wanted to make this journal because I have something I need to say

Slightly Damned as a comic is very important to me. I've been reading it for 12 years (since the age of 15) and its obviously had a huge impact on me growing up. It was the first thing I ever did fanart for, the first time I ever put myself out there online back in the old forum days, though a lot of the stuff is lost to time. It was my first forray into furry art, and my teenage crushes on several of the characters definitely were formative.

I bring this up because I'm now someone who does a lot of fanart of the comic and its characters (which is SFW in nature), that is risque, lewd or fetish-y and while it all comes from a place of love and appreciation, I feel like sometimes I don't make that clear enough. While I do my best to represent them in an appropriate enough way (making sure to showcase they are adults, trying to make them in character ect) and I try to do my best to ensure that people enjoy it, I know not everyone is going to see it that way.

So I want to pay it forward, I want to support   the-chu as much as I can, and this kickstarter is the best way to do it. There are 3 days left and its almost at its final stretch goals. I have gained a pretty large fanbase, a fairly decent chunk of it is because of my SD art, and I want to use it to ensure that Chu gets the support they need. I don't want my art to just be something that risks ruining the stories and characters I love for other people, I want to actively help support the people who make them to... make it up to them, to help show that it comes from a place of love for their stories.

It would mean the world to me, if even a portion of my community here read the comic at https://www.sdamned.com/ and supported the kickstarter here https://www.kickstarter.com/project.....cation-project

If you're seeing this after the kickstarter is over please support Chu at https://www.patreon.com/raizap

This isn't about guilt, I don't regret drawing the fanart and things I've drawn for this story I've followed for almost half my life. This is about ensuring that I support a person who deserves it, and that I use my following for good.

Thank you for reading

Heya folks, over the weekend and next little while (while I do personal art) I'm collecting commissions for a new commission queue!

Like last one its going to be a little big, + I'm still slower than usual due to... everything going on, so expect it to go over a month if it gets more than 8 commissions. That said I do draw the limit at 2 months, and about 14 commissions in that time.

It shouldn't be so bad because the summer is over and now the good months can happen, but theres a lot of stress going around right now.

Let me know through my twitter, (https://twitter.com/MrEase4) my discord linked in my profile, or FA notes, if you are interested!

Prices are:

65$ USD for a fully coloured and shaded image with up to 2 characters (Additional characters beyond that are 10 dollars per)

And 125 USD for a fully coloured and shaded comic commission. (The idea should be able to fit in around 8 panels)

Thanks very much for your patience and support. These months have been kinda rough but I appreciate so much that I have a great audience who is willing to support me.

Opening up commissions for both July and August

Its going to be a big queue, since I've had a lot of requests for commissions in this space of time

Expect it to be finished near the end of August, beginning of September if it hits around 12 to 14 commissions, please be patient, its been a lot harder to work than normal right now due to everything going on. Thank you in advance for understanding

I'm also going to prioritize people who weren't in last months queue, I won't be refusing your commission if you want to double dip, just putting you in the back of the queue, so expect those commissions to be mid-late August, if you're at the end

The prices are also raising from 60$ USD to 65$ USD for single fully coloured images

For comics, its raising from 110$ USD to 125$

I really need to start respecting my own personal value and hopefully get to minimum wage someday

Thank you for understanding and I hope to do business with you.

Please contact me through FA Notes, Twitter DMs or my Discord

Hello folks, I know its been a bit!

I just wanted to let you know I'm alright and okay, since its been almost 10 days since I've done anything or uploaded anything. I'm currently undergoing a bit of an artblock and trying to recover from it

As a result I don't feel comfortable taking any commissions or opening a new queue until its completely dealt with. I still have 3 more comms from the second half of last month left to complete (so I haven't broken my 1 month rule) Once I do some personal stuff to break through the block and finish those I'll open up again!

Thank you for your patience, these times are a little rough

I might still go to furnal equinox depending on a few factors but its looking less and less likely

Please do not come just for the sake of meeting me if you were planning to, I don't want to be responsible for anyone's decision to come if things go bad and contagion spreads

I'll decide closer to the date if I'm going or not

(EDIT) Well that problem sorted itself out

Hey folks, so first off, if you're wondering about commissions, my queue was actually filled before I managed to make a new post about it, and I have more than I've ever had in one month before. It might take slightly longer to get though, but I'll still try to have it freed up, or as close as I can to having it freed up, by the end of the month

Second I WILL be at Furnal Equinox 2020 in Toronto on Friday the 20th (and only friday the 20th) As a result of having a yugioh regionals the next day and some family stuff on the sunday I can ONLY do friday (and also not wanting to spend 3 straight days in a row eating out) but I hope that maybe I can see some of you there

The sunday thing can change, I'll keep you posted

If you'd like to know where I am, I'll have my laptop on me and keep people updated on twitter about where I am, what I'm wearing/carrying and where to meet me if you'd like! Probably going to the macro micro meetup at 6:30

So what I'm saying is follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/MrEase4

I'd like to try to get as many followers there as I have here, and hopefully you lovely folks following me see this message.

I hope to see you folks there!

I don't know if anyone saw my previous journal, about the new queue and the price adjustment, but for those who didn't its still open

60$ USD for a fully coloured, shaded pic, 110$ USD for a comic with around 8 panels

please contact me either through Notes here, or by adding me through my Discord ID in my profile, or my DM's on twitter if you'd like a slot, and what it is that you'd want

I feel like we should be able to see views on journals, cause it would be helpful knowing if people saw it.

Thank you very much for everyone who's chosen to support me so far, either through my commissions or my tip jar on patreon, or even through comments and favourites on my work I really appreciate every one of you!

1 more comm to go for January and then its off to the shortest month of the year

As a result I'm opening up a new commission queue for the month of February, please contact me either through Notes here, or by adding me through my Discord ID in my profile, or my DM's on twitter if you'd like a slot, and what it is that you'd want

For the price adjustment I'm raising my Fully Coloured Image Commission's by 5 dollars, (55$ USD to 60$ USD) and my Fully Coloured Comic commissions by 10 (100$ USD to 110$ USD)

I hope this doesn't turn anyone off, as its a small adjustment, I just hope to someday earn close to minimum wage with my work, and I've gotta climb to get to it someday!

Thank you very much for everyone who's chosen to support me so far, either through my commissions or my tip jar on patreon, or even through comments and favourites on my work I really appreciate every one of you!

Hey! I just wanted to thank everyone for helping me get to 20k faves before the start of 2020 (hit it last dec 31st at around 8:30 PM)

I don't have any plans to change my trajectory for 2020, just gonna try to keep doing what I'm doing and getting faster
at doing it. Gonna eventually raise my prices for commissions, in march most likely, but other than that I'm gonna keep going forward

I have 4 slots taken up this month (taken up by 2 people)

Let me know if you're interested in a commission,

prices are 55 USD for a single image commission (with a max of 2 characters before a 10 dollar upcharge per additional character)

100 USD for a fully coloured comic commission page with around 8 panels

Please contact me through notes or my discord which is linked in my profile

Thank you so much for an incredible 2019

Hey folks its that time of the month again, first commission queue for the new decade is opening, lets start the roaring 20's off strong

Prices are the same,

Single fully coloured image 55 USD with max 2 characters (additional characters are a 10 dollar upcharge per)

Fully coloured comic commission 100 USD with around 8 panels (I say around because if I accidentally go over by one or two and its not something that I thought was gonna happen till I started drawing thats on me)

Please contact me on FA notes or on Discord, which is found in my profile info, if you'd like to be on the queue

I hope everyone had a merry christmas and a happy new year