How is it already 2022? I catch myself accidentally writing 2019 on things that I write the date on still. This year has passed both quickly and slowly at different intervals. (I suppose it just was determined by my mental state.)
I had several goals for 2021, most of which I did not accomplish for the big ones. I wanted to have a project ready to query, create a comic proposal (technically yes, in writing, but none of the portfolio parts), the second draft of The Avis Initiative, Thrown draft 2, and to finish a draft of a new book. As you'll see in my statistics section later in this blog entry, the book writing didn't happen. For monthly goals, I wanted to do at least 1 freelance gig/commission gig a month, release new designs seasonally to my shop, have 1 full me-day, hang out with my pals at least once. I was able to release a few different designs, just not seasonally. I also was able to hang out with my pals at least once a month, which was really the regular highlight of my month if I'm honest.
MEDIA
I READ:
Lots of AO3
My Gently Raised Beast
I WATCHED:
Bungou Stray Dogs
Bungou Stray Dogs: Dead Apple
Big Mouth Demon Slayer
South Park: Post Covid Special parts 1 & 2
I LISTENED TO:
Last Podcast on the Left
Queers for Fears Podcast
Taunt by Lovejoy
Odo (cover) by Rachie Money by Lisa
My Head Is Spinning Like A Screw by Kostromin Rasputin by Boney M. G.
We Don't Talk About Bruno by the Encanto cast
I PLAYED:
Animal Crossing Mario Party
STATS
For a grand total of 47,508 words written this past year, I wrote the most in March for my Creative Nonfiction class pieces I was working on, and my most written day was March 13th writing 3100 words in one day. The most written category was homework at roughly 23,000 words. The category I wrote the least in was fiction, which I constitute as writing novels. This was a bit disappointing, but considering I have many rough drafts I need to choose one to polish up and rewrite instead of write a completely new novel. I'm sure you can sense the theme going on here based upon what I've already said, but 2021 I primarily focused on my schoolwork and just surviving.
My mental health became a new type of bad that I haven't seen it become since peaking in middle school and senior year of high school, that being more of a numb depression roughly half the time. With that said, there was a good development with my mental health, believe it or not: I realized that I had way fewer angry days in my color-coded mood tracker. Whereas in previous years I had multiple days reaching the point where anger consumed the majority of the day, I only had 1 day like that this year thanks to a nasty email from a family member I have estranged myself from in late 2020. This recognition (of the much-lessened amount of anger-consumed days) reinstated the importance of me continuing my therapy each week and seeing the results tangibly thanks to the data I keep on myself.
In total, this year I read 48 novel-length books/comic volumes, which is a great increase compared to previous years! It's a new record that I'm proud of. So even though I haven't been writing as much, I've still been reading and absorbing different types of media to be influenced by and analyze from a craft perspective. I played 10 different video games, watched around 36 TV shows, and 23 movies. My favorite video game was Mario Party (followed closely by Animal Crossing, New Horizons), my favorite TV show was Squid Game (followed closely by Erased), and my favorite movie was A Silent Voice. My favorite comic/manga was absolutely Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku. I very much look forward to watching the anime when it comes out! I also look forward to finishing the manga before school starts up again. I also am enjoying creating more art before school starts up again and I'm working on a fun animation.
NEW YEAR, NEW GOALS
I've routinely set pretty hefty goals for myself each year as life grows more difficult adulting. I'm going to be kinder to myself with my goals I'm setting. Some of them are planned to happen regardless, but I still think they're worth mentioning. For example, finishing my publishing thesis that I am currently conducting a quick reader survey for (you should fill out here if you have a moment). Additionally, making a proposal for my creative writing thesis and doing another draft of Black Hole Son before submitting that proposal. I also want to do at least 1 Medium post a month, so in preparation for that, I'll be doing my updates quarterly on here going forward. (Be sure to follow me on Medium to see what I'm up to there!)
This upcoming year I'll be regularly updating my revamped Etsy shop, The Phantasmagorium, so stay tuned by following my shop there! I've got a lot of fun plans going forward with it there. Another goal of mine is to finish a comic/graphic novel proposal, particularly for my memoir about how I accidentally joined a cult in college and the ultimate delusional chaos that was. Following that, I also want to make sure I have planned out/decided which novel of mine I want to write next. I have a couple of contenders, and about half are novels I've already written that I wanted to remake into comics/graphic novels.
As far as my lifestyle goes, I need to get back into exercising weekly again, ideally 3 times per week. I have more than enough things to do with my exercise bike and now having Just Dance 2021 for the Nintendo Switch (hell yeah!). I also want to move closer to school/work, seeing as my commute is about 40-50 minutes, and is also dependent on traffic. One day things will be fully back in person (right?) and it'll help splitting living costs with someone else. Also, by the end of the year, hopefully after AWP 22, I want to be working full time so that I can support myself better as I am turning 26 and will be kicked off my parents' insurance soon haha.
I think these goals are very reasonable for where I am in my life right now, and I'm hoping by sharing them I am participating in manifesting the majority of them for me! (Exercise be damned, lol).
I hope you've had a wonderful start to the new year, and stay safe out there! Get all your shots if you can; do your part to help everyone.