Huh.
I haven’t been on this site in a few years to update it. There was a slew of updates waiting for me on my WordPress Dashboard, so I installed them, and it kind of broke my website on the back end. So far, the front end seems fine, but I’ve lost access to my media files on this side of the screen. That being said, here’s an update on my life since the last post.
Art Update:
I did a few commissions during the gap I have not yet uploaded to the site including a Deadpool and a medusa. There were also a few paintings I have to upload as well. I haven’t really made any comics since the Lump comic, which I’m angry at myself about. I’m rusty. I need to start sketching again. Drawing again. Painting again. Being creative again. I have a million unfinished projects I just need to tackle as perfection is the enemy of done.
Moving Update:
Since the last post, we’ve changed apartments twice more. This involves packing, moving, unpacking, living, packing, moving, unpacking, etc. Through these moves, we’ve parsed down the library from over 3000 books to just over 2200 as well as put a lot of my art supplies in storage, which had made using them hard. After all this time I feel like I finally have room to breathe in my creative space to start updating again.
Mental Update:
I have a bipolar disorder as well as depression and anxiety. I’m not going to dance around it or hide it or feel embarrassed about it because -for the first time in a long time- I feel like myself again. I’m on a good medication cocktail that has me reflecting back on times when I was on different meds or none at all and wondering who the hell that person was. I realize my most toxic years were during college. They reflected poorly on others of who the person I was then versus who I am now. I don’t talk to a lot of those people now because they have only seen me at my worse and I don’t blame them for it. I hate that person I used to be. I’m starting to come to terms with myself and become the person I want to be today instead. This Glych is much happier; laughs at life’s misfortunes rather than take them personally. This Glych has let go of a lot of grudges and has forgiven a lot of people. This Glych has mellowed and is starting to feel inspired again. It took a re-diagnosis and a new batch of meds (as well as a lot of therapy work) to change into the person I am now versus the person I was. I let go of that toxicity I used to hold onto. And I feel better.
I think it’s important to share because we often hear about the difficulties of a mental illness and how people struggle with it but we rarely hear about the stories of improvement and getting a grip on one’s mental health. It’s possible. It happened to me. But it also took a lot of work, good medical science, and good doctors.
Employment Update:
Between that last post and this one, I have had between 3-5 jobs, depending on how you classify freelance. Some of those day jobs have included instructing children in animation and film making for 3 companies, being a regional manager for a company that taught children how to animate and make movies for one of those three companies, being a gallery art curator, an art director, a cartographer for AT&T, a dishwasher, an item specialist, a data analyst, a classic art teacher for kids, a sublimation printer, and finally a budtender. Out of my entire mixed career between art and day jobs, this job has paid me more than I’ve ever made in my life. I have medical, dental, vision, and daily tips. If it weren’t for this job I would be in a lot of hot water. That being said, my day job is 40 hours a week, 4 10-hour days which leaves me little creative time. I’m going to try to squeeze it out. But this job finally affords me the ability to climb out of debt from student loans and when I was forced to live off of credit cards during lean times.
Family Update:
Everyone, meet Annebelle. In this photo, she’s about 5 months old but by the time of this writing, she’s just turned 7 months old. I gained about 30 lbs over the pregnancy I’m trying to lose, so no photos of me for a while, but she’s adorable. That’s happy news. The sad news is that my father is extremely sick with stage 4 melanoma right now. He’s been fighting for years but the cancer drugs have been very rough on him the past year or so. Ian, Annebelle, and I are going to visit in late September so he can meet his granddaughter. Last year in 2020, Covid took my grandmother as well. I’m dealing with a lot of mixed emotions right now.
Archive Update:
This last move, Ian encouraged me to parse down on my stack of CDs, DVDs, movies, games, programs, and various comic files accrued over the years. I am finding SO MUCH I want to upload to the site. I’ve spent the past 2 days just copying it onto a 2TB hard drive so I can toss the disks. I’ve also found a lot more Philo’s and Philo art. Those will be coming to the site soon.
For anyone curious about ComicEasel on WordPress 6 please let me set your mind at ease. In the words of The Mighty, it is super easy. Barely an inconvenience. I’ll keep notes on how we set up, configure, and integrate with ComicEasel, and will share those with Amber’s permission when the site is up and purring.
I use the mighty and powerful FETCH for FTP. It’s been my constant companion and bestest buddy since 1989. I remember meeting the team at MacWorld ’93 after the show was over and trading them a whole box of tradeshow fu-fus for a personal Fetch of my own. You can’t buy loyalty like that – it has to be bartered for in the dark of the night after substantial drinking.
