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It's been a while!
General | Posted 4 months agoIntroHi!
So it's been a real long time since I've done anything other than upload a commission I got on here. My last journal was in October of 2021, and a lot has happened since then!
I graduated college and got my degree in civil engineering. I'm currently working for a firm doing design/drafting work for private and public developments. It sucks, my co-workers are far right and I hate my job! It takes up 40+ hours of my week, and that's not including my commute and site visits. It's better than retail. Barely. I also did a lot of other stuff. I got into a car accident and lost the car I'd finished paying off two months before, and bought a new one (2025 Kia Soul). I made friends, lost friends. I wound up in the hospital a few times. Did a lot of soul searching, mostly fueled by drugs. I went from only having one convention under my belt to now having been to ten! I'm even a staff member of one, AnthrOhio to be specific. I've had so much fun at these conventions, and I love hosting panels.
...And whenever I see dealer's den and artist's alley it makes me want to draw again. Let's talk about that!
ArtSo it's no secret that I don't draw anymore. I've uploaded 4 drawings since 2021. Working full-time and going to college really burned me out. I'm still recovering from some really severe depression, as well.
But now that I'm done with college an working a 9-5 job I do have more free time. I'm hoping to start drawing again. I do not have a date for that and no real goal other than someday selling my stuff at a con.
I'm starting with a new ref sheet. I'm still going to be a red housecat with the same overall design. I'm planning on updating their hair, a new Hawaiian shirt, notably fatter, and significantly more tired and jaded. Basically the same changes I went though since my last ref sheet which was early 2021.
Hopefully many more drawings after that!
SocialsI don't do twitter anymore. I have bluesky. Go follow me there maroonmeows.bsky.social
Maroon's Art Commissions [CLOSED]
General | Posted 4 years agoInformationOh boy. I'm nervous, but also really excited.
For the first time ever, I am open for commissions! Get a simple drawing for $30, or go all in for a fully shaded picture at $50! If you really wanna, get a ref sheet for $100! For more details, please take a look at my commission sheet here on FurAffinity or check out my pinned tweet! Keep in mind, these are not first-come first-serve. I will pick the winners just a few days after the forms open. So if you want to take a little time to think about what you want, feel free!
Form closes on Wednesday, 5PM EST.
Form LinkClick here to fill out the commission form!
Slots1. Sea Anemone
2. RykerMutt
3. Anonymous
4. CherryPixelBun
5. Lishak
My First Furry Convention
General | Posted 4 years agoIntroSo I recently accomplished one of the top items on my bucket list. I finally went to a furry convention! Motor City Furry Con 2021 is officially my first con. I'm not kidding when I say it was a life-changing experience, and I can see why people get to excited about them, and have so much fun at them. I've talked about it on my twitter but I've never really made a long-winded post about it. Typically these posts are kind of depressing, but this one is going to be much happier. I have a lot to go over!
SafetyThe first thing I've been asked about and seen people talk about is the safety of the con, regarding COVID-19. This convention required proof of vaccination to attend, and asked people to wear a mask but it was not a rule. I tested negative after I got home from the con, and nobody I had extended interactions with has gotten a positive test. I also wore a mask for the majority of the time I was there, only taking it off to drink and eat. I think conventions around the size of MCFC are safe as long as there is a vaccine requirement. With massive cons like MFF, I think that a vaxx requirement and a mask requirement is best for now.
I'd heard horror stories of people not having their boundaries respected, and while I'm not a fursuiter, I didn't witness any of that myself. I didn't experience it either. Nobody gave me a hug unless I'd told them it was okay to. I don't think anyone was getting their flirt on with me either. So I also felt safe in the regard that nothing bad was gonna happen to be as the result of other people.
Events / PanelsMCFC had a lot of panels this year! In fact, a lot of them overlapped! I mostly went to the really big ones, like the "You First Furry Con" panel or the Alkali & Xanni's Dragget Show Live! I went to some smaller ones too, such as Rails & Tails, or Furry Quiplash. They're a lot of fun! It's recommended to con-goers that you go to at least one panel you wouldn't normally attend. I didn't do that, but I did meet some really interesting folks! Speaking of!
The dances were probably my favorite. Bass you can feel thumping in your chest, lights and lasers, and a bunch of people who don't care how they look. They're just concerned about having the time of their lives, and absorbing every second of it. Avian Invasion put on a great show this year, I can't wait to check out more of their stuff.
FriendsI met some friends of mine in-person at the con for the first time! I can't list all of them here, but it's just so cool to meet people IRL, it sort of reminds you that they're real and that they care about you a lot. I know I care about my friends a lot, and I'm certainly gonna try to drag my online-only friends to some cons!
General VibeThere's a bunch I want to talk about that I can't really divide up into a bunch of different sections so I'll talk about it here.
The vibe of this convention is just, it's so hard to describe with words. If you've been to a con, you know what I'm talking about. The whole time I was there, I had a big smile on my face. Normally I have to go through life being cautious, wondering who's gonna judge me or maybe even hurt me. The convention was the first time in my life where I had no worries like that. Everyone I talked to was so incredibly kind, didn't judge other people based on their lives, their appearance, or anything else. We were all just fans of this silly animal thing, and we all bonded over it. I really knew that I could be me, and nobody would try to stop it. I said it before, but this was a life-changing experience and the most fun I've had in all 25 years I've been on this planet. Hell, I turned 25 at the convention. My normally sad and quiet birthday was spent dancing and partying all night with great people.
There was just something so energizing about it. I felt inspired, driven, and passionate about being a furry. It's probably really hard to understand for some people, but without the furry fandom I probably wouldn't have any friends. I never would've come out of my shell. This fandom genuinely means the world to me. For a long time, and sometimes still, it's the only thing in the world I can hold onto for hope. It's not known who said the original quote, but I heard it repeated at the convention multiple times. I think it perfectly nails why this fandom is so incredibly special and unique.
"Furries are the only fandom where we're fans of each-other"
Special ThanksI'd like to extend a special thanks to everyone I roomed with, all the old friends I saw at the con, and all the ones I met there. Thank you to all of the hotel staff, con chairpeople, and panel speakers. Thanks to all of you, I'll never forget my first convention.
MCFC, COVID-19, General Depression
General | Posted 5 years agoSo that last journal aged like a gallon of milk.
Even if you haven't heard the news directly, it should seem obvious that MCFC has been postponed along with almost all mass gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now I'm not saying this was a bad decision, it's the only one that could be made. To say it's upsetting would be an understatement. A convention is something I'd been yearning for for years and had finally achieved due to the generosity of pisexual only for my one opportunity to be stomped out. If any con would be do-able this year it would be MFF and even that's uncertain before considering other factors, such as having to get a room on my own or it being during finals week in school. Next year doesn't look possible either, as my worsening living situation might get to a critical point next year. That's if the world even exists next year.
COVID-19 was not something I expected to get to this scale. When I registered for the con it had a presence in the US nobody took it seriously, with there being 60 cases the United States. Presently there are 53,000. Just yesterday, my state declared a shelter-in-place order. I've never seen anything like this, neither have my family members. I feel the government is either going to do nothing, or turn the country into a dystopian hellscape. It feels like the apocalypse. Even if the world can come back from the brink, I might not. I work in retail and though my company is not essential nor do they stock essential products, I still have to come into work. My chances of being infected are almost guaranteed. I'm young and mostly healthy so obviously the odds would be in my favor, but I have been experiencing chest pains that at their worst are debilitating. What if everything goes well as it can? The social distancing works, the virus dissipates, people recover, and cures are developed. I wonder if there's even a point to try?
I'll be honest. The honeymoon period with college is well over. My feelings on my current major have already been expressed, I feel little need to repeat them. I'm again hit by the feelings I'm just too late to the party. Either, I get an Associate's Degree when I'm 26, or a Bachelors when I'm 28. It feels like there's no point if it's going to take that long. I feel like by the time I get to the point in life where I'll finally be able to experience all of my dreams, they'll be forgotten and gone. I feel like I'm already past the apex of my prime. Why bother at this point? I feel like giving up entirely. It would take a literal miracle at this point to give me any kind of salvation. But those are in the realm of fiction.
I can't say I have a desire to take my own life, but I can't find any desire to preserve it either.
Even if you haven't heard the news directly, it should seem obvious that MCFC has been postponed along with almost all mass gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now I'm not saying this was a bad decision, it's the only one that could be made. To say it's upsetting would be an understatement. A convention is something I'd been yearning for for years and had finally achieved due to the generosity of pisexual only for my one opportunity to be stomped out. If any con would be do-able this year it would be MFF and even that's uncertain before considering other factors, such as having to get a room on my own or it being during finals week in school. Next year doesn't look possible either, as my worsening living situation might get to a critical point next year. That's if the world even exists next year.
COVID-19 was not something I expected to get to this scale. When I registered for the con it had a presence in the US nobody took it seriously, with there being 60 cases the United States. Presently there are 53,000. Just yesterday, my state declared a shelter-in-place order. I've never seen anything like this, neither have my family members. I feel the government is either going to do nothing, or turn the country into a dystopian hellscape. It feels like the apocalypse. Even if the world can come back from the brink, I might not. I work in retail and though my company is not essential nor do they stock essential products, I still have to come into work. My chances of being infected are almost guaranteed. I'm young and mostly healthy so obviously the odds would be in my favor, but I have been experiencing chest pains that at their worst are debilitating. What if everything goes well as it can? The social distancing works, the virus dissipates, people recover, and cures are developed. I wonder if there's even a point to try?
I'll be honest. The honeymoon period with college is well over. My feelings on my current major have already been expressed, I feel little need to repeat them. I'm again hit by the feelings I'm just too late to the party. Either, I get an Associate's Degree when I'm 26, or a Bachelors when I'm 28. It feels like there's no point if it's going to take that long. I feel like by the time I get to the point in life where I'll finally be able to experience all of my dreams, they'll be forgotten and gone. I feel like I'm already past the apex of my prime. Why bother at this point? I feel like giving up entirely. It would take a literal miracle at this point to give me any kind of salvation. But those are in the realm of fiction.
I can't say I have a desire to take my own life, but I can't find any desire to preserve it either.
<< Motor City Furry Con 2020 >>
General | Posted 6 years agoI'm finally going to my first convention after nearly 5 years of wanting and trying! I'll be in Detroit, Michigan hanging out with a bunch of weird people in animal costumes from April 2nd to the 5th and I couldn't be more excited! If you're one of my dozen fans, come hang out!
The biggest hurdle to jump was family stuff. I was worried they'd ostracize me for having weird/alternative interests, plus they never had confidence in my ability to be independent. However, my mom found out what furries are, that I'm one, and that I'm going to a con. She didn't mind it at all and even encouraged all of it! So that's good news. That plus the fact that I've been going to college and maintaining a high GPA while working has instilled confidence in my ability do operate independently so that is also no longer an issue. Financial issues are really the only issue now and that's just tough shit living in a pretty shit part of Ohio.
I'm hoping to visit lots of my friends over the summer, especially
unixcat! I also wanna go to MFF or Anthrocon this year but I'm not sure if finances/college will permit it.
Is it weird that this simple thing has made my outlook so much more positive? I feel like I'm more of a 'real person' than I was before. I can express myself and not worry about being made fun of, and if I am, it's not my problem because I have support from people who matter.
In regards to art, I'm not expecting it to speed up for a few months. I have more classes this semester and I'm working more hours. However, I do wanna keep drawing. I have no intentions of giving up. Stay tuned, people!
The biggest hurdle to jump was family stuff. I was worried they'd ostracize me for having weird/alternative interests, plus they never had confidence in my ability to be independent. However, my mom found out what furries are, that I'm one, and that I'm going to a con. She didn't mind it at all and even encouraged all of it! So that's good news. That plus the fact that I've been going to college and maintaining a high GPA while working has instilled confidence in my ability do operate independently so that is also no longer an issue. Financial issues are really the only issue now and that's just tough shit living in a pretty shit part of Ohio.
I'm hoping to visit lots of my friends over the summer, especially
unixcat! I also wanna go to MFF or Anthrocon this year but I'm not sure if finances/college will permit it.Is it weird that this simple thing has made my outlook so much more positive? I feel like I'm more of a 'real person' than I was before. I can express myself and not worry about being made fun of, and if I am, it's not my problem because I have support from people who matter.
In regards to art, I'm not expecting it to speed up for a few months. I have more classes this semester and I'm working more hours. However, I do wanna keep drawing. I have no intentions of giving up. Stay tuned, people!
I am now home!
General | Posted 7 years agoI had a really gay time with UnixCat, but it is time for me to return to Ohio. Time to resume being a shitty prequel artist, lol.
Off To Chicago!
General | Posted 7 years agoI'm heading off to Chicago in a few hours to visit my boyfriend unixCat! I'll be there until the 3rd of July. So now draws or anything till then cause I'll be too busy bein gay and stuff.
