Hey everyone! We're almost halfway through 2022! I'm not sure how to feel about that.

Like, I know I've done a lot: I've been in four art shows, one of which is my first solo show since 2018 and one which I helped curate with Richard Graves. I helped host the Pouncepunk art challenge with Richard, I've set up and sold at eight events so far, I danced in two performances, I launched my Etsy, I've been doing some commission work here and there, AND we're planning our wedding that's just a couple months away! Since leaving my job in November, I've stayed busy!

Oh, and Richard and I have been interviewed about the Pouncepunk challenge and group show THREE times! We were first interviewed by Anna Buchanan for Art Speaks back in January before the challenge started, which you can listen to on Spotify here. In May, Laken Bridges interviewed us for Art Speaks again, shortly before we put up the group show at Art Lab. Finally, last week, Richard, Laken, and myself appeared on WCYB 5's 12 o'clock news to talk about the challenge and the show!

We couldn't get a good version of the segment itself, so all I've got is this awkward video I took by pointing my phone at my computer monitor. It's shoddy, apologies, but hey, you can see me trying very hard not to look at the cameras, haha.

Oh, I also made a video walkthrough of the Pouncepunk show itself, which is still up until the end of this month!

I made that song myself using Soundtrap. It took a week.

Oh, and figure drawing has been going steadily! Here's some work from that:That second one was from a DELIGHTFUL meetup last month, on a private farm and with our first opportunity to draw older models! It was supposed to be outdoors the whole time, but it started storming about a half hour in and didn't stop, so we had to awkwardly huddle together on the porch, haha. Our next get-together is this Saturday!

Also last month was a reception for With Our Bodies. It was meant to be the closing reception, but the show is actually staying up until the end of the month, which is nice! There's still time to go see it at Salt of the Earth in Abingdon, VA!

So far this month, I set up at the Johnson City Art Pop-Up, which is organized by my friend Brandon Moorman, whose work you've hopefully seen before. This past weekend was also the Wytheville UFO Fest, for which I made some new work, like this adorable possum abduction sticker:
(you can now buy this and some other new goodies on my Etsy shop!!)

I've gained some new Patreon subscribers, and I'm much closer now to hitting the double digits, so please consider joining to get an early look at everything I do, including an upcoming exclusive comic!

Oh, and galleries in my Portfolio have been updated some. There's a new one up for fan art, since I'm doing more of that here and there. Poke around and see what's new!

So...not bad for the first half of this year, but at the same time, here's the rough thing:

I am not making enough money to live off of. Not yet, at any rate.

Sure, I'm busy, I've got work up in three shows right now (all of which come down at the end of the month), but it's just not enough. I have to figure something out. Events alone are not enough, while I did GREAT at ETSUcon and ArtStruck, the shows I've done since have not been as successful. Etsy sales are meager, and well, I could always use more subscribers on Patreon. Need to pump up those numbers and find a way to make this sustainable.

I'm not in any immediate financial danger, I made sure I had enough money saved up to carry me through this year before setting off, but...just knowing that this cannot be sustained as is has been stressful.

We're leaving for the beach this Sunday, and that'll be a nice break. After that will be the Rainbow Festival in Johnson City, TN on June 25th, and then I don't have anything lined up for July, which is honestly a bit of a relief. I need time to breathe and to try to plot out my next move.

Okay, that's enough typing. I'll leave y'all with this: