This is a pretty heavy, long journal that deals with what's been going on with me over the past few weeks. Feel free to pass it up if it's too long or makes you uncomfortable.

Some of you who follow me on Twitter or Patreon will know that I've been gone for the past 3 weeks while on a long trip all over the UK. It's been a journey in many ways, not least of which while exploring where I'm headed and how things are going for me.

I regrettably neglected to post anywhere else about my sabbatical, but I'm now back and gearing up to work as hard as I can to give you all what you've been waiting for. I also got a lot of sketches done while on my trip, which I have yet to upload.

That said, I should take the opportunity to clear the air regarding a few things I'm having to shoulder with regards to my work and how it plays into my life right now. I usually shy away from opening up this way for risk of over-sharing, but since I have every intention of taking this seriously, I think it makes sense to keep you in the loop a little better.

About a week or two prior to heading off on my trip (I wouldn't necessarily call it a "vacation" for the most part) I finally opened up my Patreon page, which was (and still is) something that filled me with both excited anticipation and dread. I would finally be able to get paid for my own projects, but also see what people really thought my work was actually worth down to the cent. So far it's gone well, and I'm happy with the response considering that things got very flaky very fast, but I'll talk about that a little later.

As of right now, my work is in a good place. I have a lot to do, and a lot more that I can do, which gives me plenty of wiggle room to experiment and toy with different subjects and themes for many months to come. Money has become a concern following this trip, but I'm optimistic. My only issue is that I hold myself back (entirely unnecessarily) with self-doubt whenever taking on a new project. In spite of all that I'm still very happy with my work and how I've grown in the last few months.

Of course, I wouldn't really be here without my audience, and I appreciate everyone's enthusiasm, patience and understanding when it comes to my art and overall work habits. I appreciate the responses I've been getting to my work and I plan to keep making good content for you all to enjoy. Please don't be afraid to speak to me if you have ideas or thoughts about anything I do.

Now we move on to the more troubling news. I've stayed silent about this for a while but I think it's important that I explain my situation and how it affects my work.

I returned home last night, and I've been feeling extremely antsy and impatient to get back to work in the latter half of my time away. As some of you have seen on Twitter, I did manage to squeeze in a couple of sketch commissions with some new equipment, but my larger work engagements, such as Happy Campers and the Ofurwatch series, have largely gone untouched. I plan to put this energy to good use and finally build up a good work rhythm, but there are still some problems.

Just over a month ago, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time. She's been undergoing treatment, and just today started receiving Chemotherapy to deal with some other tumors that are inoperable. As far as the severity of her condition is concerned, it was caught early on so there's a good chance she'll pull through, but I've largely kept my head in the sand and just tried to soldier on in spite of it.

When I graduated late last year, I decided I would hold off from (or at least not make active steps towards) taking on a full time day job, to help my father with some major works he was planning for our house. This would benefit him by making it easier for me to help out, while also allowing me the freedom and flexibility to work on my art and make a proper, concerted effort towards making it into my full time job.

That turned out to be quite a fortuitous decision, but now that this has happened priorities have to shift slightly. This morning was taken up by important chores like shopping and cleaning, and by the time I sat down to work a while I was already feeling a little drained. This journal is my way of getting everything out into the open so that I can better focus on what matters the most.

This week is going to be a bit of a challenge for me. I will need to make a greater conscious effort towards contributing around the house, while also planning and making sure that I get my major art projects underway again.

I promise that I am doing my utmost to get stuff done in a timely manner, and at the level of quality that I've come to expect of myself. I consider myself lucky to have fans and customers who are very patient and understanding with me, and I hope that what I produce is worth the wait.

I had thought to promote my Patreon page a little in this journal, but I think I might save that for when I have more Patreon-funded art out for you all to enjoy.

Thanks for reading.