Hey everyone. Been a while.

Well, not sure how to start with other than some things have happened lately, and there's things I need to talk about.

I have been around, but admittedly, and probably not surprising, I've been fairly active on Bluesky. Since well, most post their art there. It definitely has its issues, but hey, least I can block words and other users. That being said, I shouldn't neglect this site. Heck, it'd be better to have more sites to post on. Though there's not a whole lot of viable options...

I do have some commissions that I've posted on Bluesky to post on here, so either tonight or tomorrow, I'll post them here. If you have Bluesky, I have two accounts: JTRyuujin (My SFW/main account) & Swolegreenderg (NSFW account). While I don't mind most knowing both accounts all I ask is that you keep the kinky/sexy stuff to just the latter, including mentions.

REAL LIFE
So this year started out interesting. After some thought and talking with family, I decided to see a therapist. Come to find out that I've been suffering from some anxiety and depression. As of now, I'm taking some medication for both. Well, mostly the latter. The former is only when I need it. It's been about a month, and I do feel a bit better. Though I've been told it may take a bit longer for it to really kick in. We'll see.

While also seeking mental health, I got my blood tested. There's some good, but also some bad. Found out I'm in the pre-diabetic stage. One of my fears is becoming diabetic since it runs on my dad's side, and that's what took his life. Fortunately, it's not too late. I'm at the edge of being pre-diabetic and not, and is reversible with better diet and exercise, and well, that's what I'm doing.

I've been eating better, cutting sodas and most junk food out. Also my older brother lend me his inclined manual treadmill, and as of late, I've been trying to get a mile a day out of it. I've also been sleeping a lot better too since back then, I'd probably would get maybe a few hours of sleep at night and sometimes doze off for hours during the day. Also trying to go to bed at a more consistent time (usually around midnight).

As of my last recent visit with the doctor, I found out I lost 4 pounds since last month. Not gonna lie, that shocked me, but also made me happy. If I stick to this routine, I'm sure I'll be out of the pre-diabetic stage in no time.

Unfortunately, there is some unfortunate news recently. Found out that an uncle of mine passed. I haven't seen him much especially after dad and grandpa's passing, but he kept calling each week to see how we're doing. He was sick for a while, going to the hospital quite a bit lately. So...yeah. Least he ain't in pain anymore.

I will admit, this did send my thoughts down a depressing path. I've lost a lot of family over the recent years. Grandma, Grandpa, Dad, aunts, uncles, a cousin...it's rough. I'm 34 years old, and also the youngest sibling. I am trying not to let that get me down though. I'm sure they don't want me to be upset and scared, especially dad.

Right now I gotta focus on getting myself better both physically and mentally so I can enjoy life.

ART & COMMISSIONS
First off, I owe a lot of people an apology for how slow I've been with commissions. I need to do a whole lot better. I've told myself not to become that artist that keeps clients waiting for a long time, and well...yeah. There's no excuse. Sure, depression and anxiety may have played a role, but still...

I bit off a lot more that I could chew, and that's completely on me. While I do greatly appreciate those being patient with me, I won't blame anyone for being upset. So, until I get everything done, I'm not accepting any more clients. I need to also be a lot more confident in my art, know that I can create some great pieces. I've been struggling with that, especially when I find myself drawing something I have little to no familiarity with. I need to change that mindset and maybe even set some routine so I can draw more consistently.

Once I get all commissions done, I'm gonna rework my commission ToS and such from the ground up. Some of the goals I have is to make it so that what I can and can't draw is as clear as possible, and to limit the amount of slots so I don't take on too much at once. I do have more plannedt. I have also been thinking of adding options of what kind of commission aside from inks, sketches, and flats (I really need to practice shading and make it an option soon). Essentially make things easier for both me and the client.

Also still going to try to do some personal stuff too cause focusing too much on commissions can and has burn me out, multiple times. I also need to draw more for myself, cause I've barely done that. Heck, Jay's overdue for an up-to-date design. Even if I don't change much, he still needs some new art.

ANYTHING ELSE...?
I...can't think of much else. Oh! Pokemon Winds and Waves! Obviously everyone's fauning over Pombon, and of course some are scared about their final stage. Not gonna lie, I kind of hope it stays on all fours, and given Pokemon's track record of canine Pokemon ('sides Snubbull & Granbull), I could see that happening. However, I wouldn't mind if they do become bipedal. It'll just depend on the overall design.

Hopefully all 3's final forms are fairly recieved. NGL, if I owned Sun & Moon, I'd probably pick Popplio mainly because some people cannot handle the idea of a feminine looking starter. I get if you're not a fan, but I've seen some take it a bit too seriously...

I might have more to talk about later, but I needed to post an update. If you have any feedback to the stuff above, I'm all ears. Take care everyone. Stay safe out there.

~JT