Hey Chooms, hope things have been well for ya guys. Things are pretty good on my end. I’ve been spending this break getting stuff done, relaxing with family and friends, and keeping up with various Going-Ons in the communities I enjoy and/or Inhabit. I feel like I’m really getting back in the Mindset I had Pre-Covid and it’s been nice. I’m still trying to figure out how I want to go about things when I come back. I’d like to just go back to how I was in the Summer of ‘22, I feel like I was really getting a Healthy Balance of Work, Interaction, and Time Spent with my online presence then. However it was also a time where I felt Mentally Unstable. This year has been a Great Wake-Up Call. Given some Huge, Deeply Upsetting Drama going on this year I won’t name here; along with some Awesome Stuff too. It’s been reminding me to step back and Observe the Discourse before letting my Emotions get fired up. The FGC is about to go through some Major Restructuring. Animation of the Mainstream and Indie Variety is looking Excellent. Indie Horror is much Healthier than I gave it credit for a while ago. Both in Movies and Games. And even if it’s got the least amount of participation it’s had in a while. The NFT Scene is even looking Beneficial to the Art Scene, despite all the pushback Good-Faith and otherwise it’s gotten (Shout-Out Uniquenameosaurus For Doing A Thorough Examination Of The Scene And Twitter’s Animosity Towards It. Made Me Realize Just How Bad The Backlash Actually Was). There’s honestly a lot I wanna talk about because this year has been Fascinating, for Better and Worse. I mentioned this awhile ago, but I feel Humanity as a whole are at our Best and Worst right now. Things feel at their most Stable and Erratic. The Art/Entertainment Sphere is a fantastic Microcosm of everything Great and Terrible about us as a Species right now. Trust seems at it’s Strongest and Weakest. We’re living in the Age of Extremes and Duality. Simultaneously at our Kindest and most Vile. And unfortunately, at our most Earnest and Dishonest.

So with that all mentioned, what’s Shoto gonna do? Well for one get back in the Swing of Things. Back in the Art Grind. I’m also eager to talk to fellow Creators again. I’ve been giving my Hands and Mind a break from Drawing for the most part but I’ve still been working. And secondly, I want to start talking about various topics I think about a lot. Even, *gulp*, Political Topics (OHDEARGODNOSHOTONO!!!).

I’ve still got a lot I want to do with my career. But I am So Lucky to have already achieve a lot of Goals I had since I was a kid. Hell the only thing I really haven’t done is both the Self-Indulgent Passion Projects I wanna do plus Pure Extravagant Stuff, and Support my Family through my Work. I’ve improved my Illustration and Writing. I’ve had a lot of Fun just chatting with people online. And even helped folks out by talking to ‘em. I want to Create for Creation’s Sake and definitely have Self Indulgent Reasons to do Art. I think I’ve made that pretty clear by getting a bit too Chummy and Flirty at times. But one of my Biggest Goals as an Artist is to help Inspire people who are more Vital than me (In A Pragmatic Sense) to keep going and Help Others in ways I can’t as a Disabled, Tramua-Ridden Individual. These past four years have made me Incredibly Happy and Miserable all at once. And I want to keep going. I just still need some time to Hide Myself while I Repair Myself. Like I said, I’ll likely return some time in June unless something comes up IRL. I’m gonna be Busy in my Personal Life still as well. But I feel Alive again. And I want to share that Vitality through my Art. And have some Fun along the way.

Stay Safe out there, Things are still Wild. But I Believe In People, even if they Drive me Insane at times. Protect you and yours, stay Healthy, stay Kind but not Blind. And remember that Life is Great and Terrible. But we can adjust each Variety of Spice even with the smallest gestures.