After 10 years, my old computer finally went kaput. Thankfully, I was able to get it replaced quickly, but unfortunately, all of my old art assets are now gone. This also means I have to start from scratch with the commissions I've been working on. It's a frustrating setback to be sure, but I'm determined to keep pushing forward. Currently getting all my stuff set up again.

It's taken longer than I would've liked to get back to normal, but for all intents and purposes, things are good now. My leg has stopped bleeding, and the pain has been reduced to occasional mild flare-ups. I'm still taking steps to continue healing, but as for artwork, the only thing getting in the way is that my extended time away from drawing has left me very rusty.

I thank you all for your patience, especially those I still owe commissions to. It might be a while longer before I'm back at my old pace, but progress is resuming.

Finally some good news!

Recently, I've been noticing a positive trend with my condition. My leg has been hurting less and bleeding less, and I've gradually been able to sit up longer with fewer issues.

The biggest change I can attribute this to, is that my body finally seems to be conforming to my new sleep schedule. Before, I would sleep an average of 3 hours a day, regardless of how tired I was (which I probably don't need to say, is sure to mess up your health).

I'm not out of the woods yet, but these recent changes are very encouraging.

As far as how my job is going, compared to my previous full-time job, I'm making more money and doing less work. Much less work, in fact. If it weren't for my leg (and the occasionally rude customer), this job would be cake.

As for artwork, things are looking more optimistic. In fact, I'm aiming to post something by this Thursday.

Following my recent health update, I've decided that it will be best to close commissions for the time being.

I will do my best to complete the commissions that I currently owe.

Commissions will re-open when my current health and workflow problems can be reasonably managed.

As I've said in previous journals, I've been experiencing extra pain from my day job, which requires me to be on my feet all day. However, I've also been dealing with swelling in one of my legs, and about a week into my job training, my leg started bleeding. At first, I thought it was just from the extra pressure of the work day. It seemed to get better when I was at home resting. Lately, however, I find that even after rest, the pain is still quite severe, and my leg starts bleeding again if I don't keep it elevated. This includes when I'm just sitting in my chair in front of my computer.

I've been drinking more water, as dehydration might be a contributing factor. I've been taking aspirin to reduce the swelling. I've been wearing band-aids at work to help reduce the bleeding. I'm about to start using compression socks to help the circulation. But so far, the pain just seems to be getting worse.

At this rate, I don't know what this is going to mean for my artwork, let alone my health in general. I currently have 2 commissions to finish, and a 3rd offer that I'm considering. But if I don't get this problem with my leg under control soon, I might have to stop future commissions indefinitely.

(and for anyone thinking I should see a doctor, my job's health benefits website has been acting up lately, so I haven't been able to enroll in health insurance; yes, I will be speaking to someone about it soon)

UPDATE: The issue with my health insurance has been resolved. I'm now enrolled, though it doesn't kick in until August. Wouldn't it be something if I figured out how to solve this problem before then?

Sorry for the lack of content this week. I've been feeling especially sick and feverish lately.
Also, for some weird reason, solutions that I try end up being super effective one day, and then not effective at all the very next day, so this still feels like a guessing game.

The good news is that I'm finally transitioning to my permanent schedule now, so hopefully my body will actually have a chance to get used to it, which should help with the brain fog and other issues I've been dealing with. In the meantime, I hope you're all doing well, and I'll keep you updated.

In my last journal, I discussed my difficulty in completing art while also working a full-time job, and proposed a possible solution where I intended to wake up early and get several hours of art done before going to my job.

One week later, here is my progress so far:
On average, I got up 1-2 hours early and worked on art for 30 minutes-1 hour every day.
I managed to complete a commission in 5 days while doing this (at least completing the initial picture; making adjustments for the client took extra time).
I only went one day without drawing anything; at that point, it was the end of my work week, and I was floating between being too tired to move and feeling nothing but pain throughout my body.

Overall, I'm happy with this approach, as it really seems to be helping. I just need to put in effort to get up a bit earlier so I can have more time to work on art each day. I'm also trying to make adjustments to my job so I won't be quite so wiped out every day.

As for my job, I'm officially done with training, and I'm told that my schedule will be changing again within the next week (rather drastically this time, going from the day shift to graveyard). So hopefully, it won't be too much longer before things settle down, and I can get into a regular art rhythm, which will help me post more frequently.

Started my new job this week, and it has been much more physically demanding than I expected (thankfully, that should slow down in a couple of weeks when I'm done with training).

I'm still eager to make new art, and I'm still happy to take commissions. This is just a heads up that progress is going to be a little slower at the moment.

Finally caught up! With those larger projects done, I can get back to my usual work, which means you can expect to see more new stuff soon.

(But of course, anyone looking to get a commission, please do. Your support helps me a great deal.)

Been quiet this week due to being busy with some really big commissions.
So first of all, thank you. I have been blown away by the extra support I've been getting lately.
And while I'm still finding ways to be more productive, I'm also not feeling the burn out that I've had in the past.

Which brings me to the main topic. I've updated the commission status on my homepage to do away with the limited number of slots. It will now simply say open or closed, depending on how busy I am. I'm looking forward to sharing more stuff with you all very soon, and to keep improving.

As you might recall, I closed off comic commissions a while ago. However, I've been getting more comfortable with my work flow, and I'm willing to start taking them again (within reason; please keep them within a few pages).

Prices are as follows:
Line art: $10 per character, background, or panel with close-up or minimal detail

Flat color: $15 per character, background, or panel with close-up or minimal detail

Simple shading: $20 per character, background, or panel with close-up or minimal detail

Full shading: $25 per character, background, or panel with close-up or minimal detail

So basically, the same as my regular commissions, but applied across an entire comic page.

Currently working on a larger-than-usual commission, so I didn’t get the chance to do a special picture for today (and I had an idea for a good one; I’ll probably get it done later in the week).

But I still want to encourage anyone reading this to treat yourself well today, and go munch on some candy butts.

2020 is officially over, and I'd like to start 2021 by thanking everyone who supported me last year, whether it was through liking my work, or leaving a comment, or especially through buying a commission. A lot of people were struggling financially last year, so the fact that anyone would bother to throw their hard-earned money at me really means a lot. I feel lucky that I still have a roof over my head, and I'm still around to make more art for you to enjoy.

My personal resolution for the new year is to become more proficient so I can post my work more consistently, and I've been working on a schedule to help get that done. Here's wishing you all a happy 2021 (or at least an improvement on last year, though admittedly, the bar isn't exactly high for that). And for a tip when you're feeling down: Stop watching the news. It's bad for you. :P

The last round is done, and I'm open for 2 more! As a reminder, if you're wondering if I'm open to take commissions, my commission status is always visible in my profile.

As a follow-up to my last journal, I'm officially back. My last commission is currently in its final stage, just waiting to hear back from the commissioner.

Also, as I suggested before, my profile page now has commission slots listed. I'm currently limiting it to 2 openings at a time to avoid burnout, though I hope to increase that number in the future.

Just letting everyone know I'm still alive. I'm almost finished with my last commission, which means I'll then be able to take on more commissions, as well as get back to posting original stuff.

On the downside, there have been a few setbacks. I sprained my drawing wrist (lifting weights, trying to mix up my workout a bit; learned a very valuable lesson there). Thankfully, it's very nearly healed, and I'm still able to draw (for an artist, that's a VERY scary moment). I'm also having an issue with my day job that should hopefully be resolved this week.

I do have an announcement regarding commissions. Before I put a hold on things to get caught up, I had a number of people asking me about drawing comics. Unfortunately, I'll have to back up on that and say that I can't take comic commissions at this time. I still enjoy coming up with my own short comic ideas, but until I can guarantee that level of work on a more consistent basis, I just wouldn't feel right taking money for it.

On a more positive note, I've been coming up with a lot of new ideas for pictures, and I'm also starting to apply myself in a new direction: writing. I've always enjoyed writing, though it's been a very long time since I've tried making an original story. As of right now, I'm working on a couple of stories that I hope you'll like. We'll see where this goes. Maybe it'll lead to a new avenue of entertainment, or it'll be terrible, and you'll have a new reason to tear me apart. Either way, it should be fun.

I’ve had a surge in commission offers recently (and for bigger, more complex projects), and while that’s great that more people want to support me, I’m getting a bit overwhelmed at the moment, so I’m putting a hold on new commissions, just until the current ones are completed.

One solution I’m considering is having a limited number of commission slots open, and displaying those on my front page so that people can see if I’m able to take new commissions at any given time. (No personal info, just the commission slots labeled as Open or Full)
Let me know what you think. In the meantime, I’ll get back to work so that commissions can be opened again as soon as possible.

In the event that you change your mind and wish to cancel a commission, a little heads-up would be appreciated instead of just ghosting me when I ask for the payment. This has happened multiple times now, so I just felt like putting out a friendly statement. Obviously, I'm disappointed whenever commissions get cancelled, but I won't bite anyone's head off for it, and it would be much more helpful if I have some idea of what's going on.

I officially have enough to fix my car! Thank you to everyone who contributed. Honestly, I thought this was going to take longer, so I’m going to continue offering Pay What You Want commissions through the end of May.

Commission info here: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5058955/

Hey everyone. As a follow-up to yesterday’s post, I took my car out for a test run today, making sure to be careful and keeping an eye on the temperature gauge. Thankfully, everything was pretty steady. I didn’t have any problems with overheating. So, I’m going to continue doing deliveries in addition to the PWYW commissions until I can replace the radiator. Obviously, I’m going to be very careful and make sure it has water every day before I go out.
Just keep in mind, if you’re trying to contact me, and it takes a while to respond, that’s most likely why, but I promise to answer all messages no later than 24 hours.

Hey, everyone. Got some not-so-great news, though it could be a great opportunity for anyone who’s been waiting to get a commission from me.
Earlier this year, I started doing a delivery job to help pay the bills while also taking commissions. Sadly, I just found out today that I’ve got a cracked radiator that needs to be replaced ASAP. Obviously, if my car goes kablooey, that means no delivery job.
And so, I’ll be taking Pay-What-You-Want commissions to raise $650 for a new radiator. Send me a note if you’re interested. I’ll keep everyone updated as I get closer to the goal.
Thank you all very much for your support and understanding.

Sorry I’ve been quiet lately. Here’s a quick update on what’s been happening:
Barring any unforeseen developments, I’ve just finished all my commissions.
I’m also working to re-edit my most recent Youtube video. I’ve been unable to find any hard numbers on how long video clips can be to fall within fair use. Previously, I tried to keep them under 30 seconds long. Going forward, I’m going to try to keep them under 10 seconds long. I’m also adding a few surprises for those who watched it before.
As for my commission/fundraising goal, I now have a new phone! Thank you to everyone who’s helped support me. Currently dealing with a few hiccups with the job I’m trying to apply for, but hopefully that will get cleared up soon.

As a reminder, I am still open for new commissions.
I’m also working on some new artwork that’s coming along quite well. Been taking some extra time on it, and I’m excited to show it off when it’s done.
And getting back to Youtube videos, I’m considering some movie reviews, even though those usually aren’t as popular as my Pony videos. Recently got to see Bumblebee, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, and Ralph Breaks the Internet. Anyone interested?
Be sure to let me know, and I’ll be back with another update soon.

Commission info here: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5058955/

Apparently, my review of Best Gift Ever has been blocked worldwide. Usually, Hasbro just monetizes my videos, but this is the first time it's been completely blocked. I dunno, I might try to re-edit it to keep it from being blocked a second time, but I didn't do anything differently from my other reviews. After the time and effort I put into it, I'm really frustrated right now.

Edit: For anyone who wants to see the original video, I've uploaded it to Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/s/3224egna8.....tever.mp4?dl=0

Final reminder that I'm taking Pay-What-You-Want Commissions until the end of the year. Just a few days away now, so if you've been waiting to get a commission, now's your chance for the best deal possible :D

https://youtu.be/ubctTtpubtY

It's that time of year, so to borrow from Home Alone:
Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals! ;)