Hey folks... Kept you waiting, huh?

So Just wanted to poke my head in here just a little, since it's been so long. First of all, yes I'm still alive, and yes I'm still around. Mostly I've just been lurking and occasionally favoriting some art, but I've never really left.

Life's been weird. When I started out here, I was still in college, studying animation; And my most active years were when my career was just starting out and I was having very little lucking finding or holding a job. We'll, that turned around in 2014 or so, and for the last 10+ years I've been steadily(ish) employed working in animation. I had a commute that was long as all hell, and no energy at all left over for making my own art. Gradually that desire to make art again as rekindled, but my skills had grown extremely rusty, and frankly I still didn't have much energy.

Then 2025 came along and basically everything crumbled around me. Almost lost one of my parents, did lose a cousin and an uncle; And to top it off the animation industry here took a colossal nosedive and I lost the most stable job I've ever held, entering into a marker where nobody is hiring. It's been over 6 months now, and I've got no leads, and It's taking every bit of effort I have not to sink any deeper into depression and anxiety... and that's not even getting into the horrific events happening in the wider world which we're all struggling with.

So that's where I'm at now: Jobless again, wanting to create again but feeling helpless and unable to do so, and generally just keeping my head barely ahead of the dark thoughts at the best of times. Luckily I have family I can lean on in these times.
I just wanted to lets folks know I'm still around, still willing to talk. I know times have been tough for everyone. and I know many of you are certainly suffering far worse for it than I am. So if you need to talk, vent, rant, or just want to reach out, I'll do my best to listen... I just might be slow to respond.

Good luck everyone! Shit sucks right now, but a better world is possible!