The anniversary of learning I was being laid off triggered a more severe depressive episode than I realized. It was November 16, 2022, that I was told that I'd be laid off effective in thirty days, during which time my then-employer offered exactly zero help in finding another role. Apparently, that still stings, and realizing it has been a full year since I've had a full-time job is pretty rough. While I had a short-term contract in the spring, furry writing has been my sole work for six months and it's kinda shocking to think about it that way.

COVID as the MFF con crud had me knocked on my tail for the past week. COVID isn't over, folks. I was lucky that my case ended up resembling the flu, rather than something even worse. There were several days last week that I was completely non-functional. I still have a stuffy nose, cough, and sore throat. While I'm well enough to get back to a normal-ish sleep schedule (as opposed to sleeping 10+ hours per night) I still can tell I'm not 100% and will need to physically take it easy for a while longer.

While I'm feeling considerably better on both fronts now (not 100%, but better) and intend to get back to writing this week, I may need to catch up on real world obligations before doing a writing stream. I'd like to start streaming two afternoons and one evening each week to re-establish that routine. If there's any particular days or times you'd like to watch me write, let me know in the comments and I'll see what I can do.

As for commissions: They're still open and I'm still working through a backlog. My policy has been that I don't bill people until I'm ready to begin work and I still think that's the fairest way to go about it. I have two works in progress right now and three more in my backlog. In theory, if I write at 800 words per hour, that's about ten hours of work. So if you want a slot, feel free to enquire at https://commiss.io/ShimmeringSpectrum/

Thanks for your patience, everyone, as I've muddled through all this. Writing is one of those things that still brings me joy. I've every intention of rekindling that joy and sharing it with you all. <3