UM

Hi :V

Feels weird typing "normal"(i.e., capitalizing my sentences). I only really do this in formal settings, when I'm not doing the "silly little critter" schtick. Maybe I'll drop it later.

...Is it a year-in-review thing? I don't really know. I just know I've seen a couple posts and wanted to do my own, because I am a SHEEP that must follow the crowd. Or something.

I dunno, usually I'd say "I don't got a lot to say" and then vomit up the most incomprehensible word salad you've ever seen that amounts to a whole lot of NOTHING so.

We'll start off with the art summary so the pretty colors can keep you engaged hopefully:

I'm upset I missed a month but said month was dedicated to finally (re)starting my passion project, so it evens out I guess?

Now onto the sob story. I've never had a good sense of time so the year feels like a mishmash of two or three years. Where am I.

I'm not sure I had a good start. I started college, against my will, really, so the first half of the year was miserable and stressful because I had to move to Jersey and not take any of the classes I wanted to take, because nothing was really planned besides "you're gonna come up here and attend uni you useless piece of shit".

It was either that or finding a job. So I applied to jobs and none of them wanted me. And instead of waiting a little bit to get everything in order I had to go NOW RIGHT NOW because the start of the semester was mere days away.

I did get a job, for a little bit, but when you're Me and your parent doesn't believe in your Very Real Social Anxiety Problem a cashier position isn't very fun. Especially in the area I was in.

So that was stressful and it sucked and I failed math and honestly? I didn't think it'd get any better. I'd just have to survive for as long as I'm stuck up here, without any friends or anything to really Do besides go to school and fend off the thoughts about wishing I was either Dead or someone else entirely: someone that had their life together, someone that could function in society, someone that wasn't a fucking disappointment waste of space.

And that was the cycle for a long, long while. I'd draw because that's the only thing I knew I was... okay at. And it helped, I guess, it served as comfort. That and my online friends. But I was still lonely.

But then, TooManyGames happened. And it was in Pennsylvania. I've been to Pennsylvania, bit of a long drive, but I could absolutely make it if I wanted. Probably. Maybe.

The problem is I'm a pathetic little doormat that can barely handle so much as a family gathering. But I wanted to try, because some people I admired were there, and if anything I could at the very least get a selfie or a signature in my sketchbook to flex on my friends with.

Even though I was late to the main event(three-hour drive + heavy rain + traffic +unlucky + L + ratio) I still did get to meet the people I admired, so that was good.

Shoutouts to Tom, Pelo, and the Funkin' Crew in particular... I'm too shy to tag but I just think you guys're super cool and I... idolize...? you, maybe "idolize" is too strong a word but I can't think of a better one at the moment. I was a horrible anxious awkward mess but it meant a lot just, getting to snap silly little selfies. Ehe.

I'm sad I missed the Toronto meetup but I'm still quite new to the whole "going places further than like thirty minutes from the house" thing. Maybe next year...?

Love Me Newgrounds 2 was a thing! What a time. It had been brewing for a long while but it finally released in the summer, so I'll mention it here. Although I didn't contribute as much as I wanted but school and everything else had me fucked UP.

But regardless, getting to unleash that onto the site was fun. Feels good to see a project finished, y'know?

Shoutout to the Newgrounds Summer Festival, I got to animate for the opening again yayaaaay~

I loved seeing the server active again... I love friends...

I owe everything to the folks running the show for giving me such a warm welcome to Newgrounds back in 2021? I know that wasn't TOO long ago but I still cherish the memories. Is that too... sappy? Sorry. I get emotional easy, if it wasn't already obvious.

What else... oh! There was the meetup at Yestercade, and that was really fun ^_^

I'd gotten over some of the nerves by then... Still a bit shy but I did have a good time! So uhhh YAH

Shoutout to @kastozx because I'm still like, genuinely surprised you of all people wanted to hang. I still mourn the near-death of Catboy Dave Sculpture WWWW I'm still so fucking sorry AAAAAAHHH

Shoutouts to @CaptainStevie @dungeonation @cheddarexuberant as well uwu

I was so caught up in the euphoria of Going Outside I also went to DerpyCon to watch Newgrounds cartoons with the Fellas @Imprez @NickSenny @septicsebi @Wegra @disconnecty @studiosnowlion (I think that's everyone? help)

Loved that. Love to hang out again whenever :>

THEN I went to a little convention with @BrandyBuizel !! And I met @coby too, and we tied Brandy up and forced him to watch the FNAF movie with us :D

From there we've been hangin' out pretty regularly... Is it okay if I get sentimental?

I'm a lonely person, and very slowly I think I've started to come out of my shell a little. Maybe not a lot, but I think just, having somewhere to Be and things to Do besides staying at home all day is a huge step up. Social anxiety is a bitch and I still haven't really grasped the concept of "I'm not as insufferable as I think I am and people do want to spend time with me and enjoy my company", but again, just going out on weekends is a huge deal to me. So, thank you, for including me and inviting me out to places to just dick around for a while, it truly means a lot.

I don't really know, who I can call my friends. Because I consider a lot of people my friends, but I don't know who thinks of ME as a friend back, y'know? But hopefully, it's okay, if I can call you guys my friends...

Um

Yeah hahah

Finally, as briefly mentioned under the art summary, I finally started remaking my comic BIRD OF PREY, so I'm proud of myself for that, hehe. I have, many ideas in my head. I hope people enjoy what I conjure up next.

Oh, I also hit 1,000 followers on Twitter and 600 here, so I'll count those as little victories too. Hehe.

So, um, while the year started off kinda shitty, I think things started looking up toward the end. So that's good, I guess.

Hopefully things are good next year. We'll see...

If you made it all the way down here I'd appreciate if you said happy birthday to my little brother, he LOVES newgrounds and he turns 11 tomorrow!!! Thank you ^^