2022 Status Update and New Goals (Patreon)

Hey there folks, happy 2022!

I mentioned yesterday in the sketch-tier submission post that I would be posting a general update announcement sometime today, so here it is!

The last couple of years have been hard for everybody, and as someone who was already having a hard time before covid even happened, I can definitely say it's been extremely difficult to keep on producing like normal. Mental health (both mine and those I care about), medication management, constant creeping financial stress, and the perpetual worldwide trauma unfolding for us all have taken a grueling toll. I constantly feel behind, I've fallen out of beloved hobbies, and months go by between open commission slots instead of opening them regularly like I used to. Even though I can confidently say that I've always gotten what needs to be done done in the end, I still feel like a neurotic purse chihuahua pretty much 24/7.

That said, struggles aside, I have a lot to be grateful for.

I don't know what the coming year will bring-- especially since I'm nearing the anniversary of a devastating loss-- but I do know that without all of you, these past years would have been MUCH harder. You guys are the reason I've been able to safely work from home and not be forced to return to food service and retail, and given where I'd been working before I became fully self-employed, that very well may have been a lifesaver!

So this is a long-winded way of saying thank you, honestly. Thanks for sticking by me and supporting my artwork through thick and thin. The difference this has made for me cannot be overstated.

If anyone would care to take a glance at my main page, they'll note that I've added a couple of new goals! The last one fulfilled was the introduction of Corona as a new character to the Compass Point cast, and the new goals are Compass Point-related as well.

I've long wanted to get back to drawing Ask the Gang comics (something I used to do 5-9 times a month, every month, but ended up not being able to keep up with and haven't been able to pick up since, even at a reduced rate, due to lack of time), so the first goal is to do that! If I can reliably make about $750 a month from Patreon, most of my basic expenses will be taken care of, meaning that I can return to comics more easily.

The second goal is for something I've wanted to do for a very long time, which is further flesh out Compass Point and its cast through longer works.  If I can reliably make $1000 a month from Patreon, I will have the breathing room to produce short (but longer than the single-page AtG ones) comics set in Compass Point. This is not a goal I expect to meet anytime soon-- but I'm excited to make it an official one anyway!

That's about it for announcements-- once again, thank you to everyone for your ongoing support. I hope 2022 will treat us all better than 2021 did!