April was a mixed bag of very high ups and very low downs. I started a fantastic new job as a Customer Service Associate for a publisher (withholding the name for my personal safety) and I feel so welcomed and cared for by everyone there, including some of my friends from my grad school program! I also managed to get my first vaccine shot! However, though, my grandmother passed away unexpectedly (when is death expected, anyway?) about mid-way through the month. It was great seeing all of my family (despite the unfortunate reason we were gathering) at the funeral and having us all come together to honor the life of my Mom-Mom who was one of the most caring, loving individual I think I have ever met. I've included my absolute favorite picture of us together from my childhood where she was over my house for the day. (I guess as a kid I would've chosen Charmander as my starter Pokemon haha). I'm pretty sure it was the same day I decided to somersault down the stairs to see what the experience was like and greatly scared her (without intending to). To add insult to my emotional injury, the world decided it was a great time for Phoebe's autoimmune disease to act up and Lilly's episodic full-body coughing fits to return. Both cats have medication at least twice a day though, so they're on the path to getting better!
I had some pretty hefty goals for April. I know I did. If you've been following my progress the last couple of months, you will see that I am slowly trying to adjust to my "new normal" of productivity compared to what I was able to accomplish in my undergrad years, where I now realize I wrote in all my free time at the expense of my social life and mental health. So... Unfortunately, I was only able to rewrite the opening scene of Black Hole Son instead of the entire first half of the novel. It's hard trying to not flagellate myself over this, but I'm going to look on the good side: I really, really believe in this new opening scene and it setting the tone for the rest of the novel. I'm going to appreciate that instead of mourn the loss of any further progress, because in the end, any progress is progress still!
Media of the Month
I READ:
Lots of AO3
Faerest by Brianna Bennett
Guilty Pleasures: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel by Laurell K. Hamilton
I WATCHED:
My Hero Academia
Jujutsu Kaisen (LOVE IT!!)
Hellier
I LISTENED:
Montero by Lil Nas X
(which inspired a WHOLE series of pole dancing demon characters of mine that you can see on my art Instagram account @nightmaradraws.)
Solitaire
Goal(s) for May
My accelerated summer class starts up in May so I honestly am not going to press myself too hard or delude myself that I can get anything too productive done. I'd like to get back into my routine of streaming Wednesdays and Saturdays at 3pm on my Twitch channel. It's a great escape into another world that I have enough mental energy to do between work, school, and schoolwork. For me, gaming is a social experience, so it'd be great if you could join me!
Featured Creator/Business of the Month
Heder, otherwise known as itscupspoodles, is an artist and musician whose style feels like a warm, nostalgic hug. Their art is mostly their own characters as well as commissions and the occasional piece of fanart. Heder's characters are dynamic and the worlds they build, especially How To Get Rid of the Cat Head, are intriguing and keep me eager to see more. They just started a new comic series called Sol and Luna about the relationship between two teens and their everyday lives. They have two songs up on their Soundcloud and Spotify so far, so stay tuned for more! Heder is an absolute dear to work with; I've commissioned them twice! Once with my two main characters for my webcomic The Star of Nepulon (that's currently on a backburner for when I'm not in school and doing a thousand things at once) Linau and Elle, as well as an icon of me and my kitties! (I look forward to when my hair is like that again so I can use the icon again). Their commissions are OPEN so that you can DM them on Instagram, and they also have a Twitter, Ko-fi, Patreon, Soundcloud, and Spotify if you'd like to give them some more support!
I hope everyone stays happy, safe, and healthy!
If you're able to get the COVID-19 vaccine, now's the time to do so!
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