Update 57: Hard Reset

Hi everyone,

Last month I'd spoke about my mental health and mentioned that it wasn’t in the best place. I'm happy to say things have improved! I’ve taken the time to address what needed attention, realised I was burning the candle at both ends for too long, and I’m now feeling much more grounded and optimistic about the future and all the possibilities.

Those of you who've been here for a while will know that December and January are usually my quieter months. That still feels right. This year has brought plenty of challenges, and taking a gentler approach has helped. I have been allowing myself to move towards new work with more caution than usual. Part of that is self awareness.

One of the other things I've been working on is some new stimulators, I really like how this one is coming on, the suggestive imagery of everything came together really well, previews are, as ever, WIP.

When I start a new project, it becomes everything. I put my full energy into it. I actually enjoy that intensity and the way it pulls me into a world that feels real and exciting to build. But I also know that it is not something I can live inside of all the time.

I have missed that deep creative flow though, so a lot of this month has been spent planning what comes next. With the holidays approaching, now is not the right time to start a large animation project, so I have focused on resolving loose ends and shaping the roadmap.

I was considering the shape of the 'chamber' or whether to have one at all (I considered having the cum 'disappear' into the tentacle with some audible/visual feedback) but people really liked the idea of seeing the 'produce' so a tank was required, here I sketched out an initial form, which I liked from the side, but realised made the whole thing look like a hoof from the top, which I didn't like.

I gathered years of ideas and all the feedback you have shared, then talked them through with people who see things from different angles. Their perspectives helped me get out of my own head and look at the plan more clearly.

So - what is the outcome?

A PLAN!

This is the plan, or, 'the diagram', if you will (stormlight archive reference) you don't get to see it, you get to see what I make with it.

The plan is to rotate between several story arcs, each following a character or corporation, and each exploring different styles of interaction. Every release will stand alone, but together they will build a clearer picture of the world. I still enjoy leaving small hints for people to find, but I also want to communicate the world more openly going forward.

Added a tank and had the idea to have it swell outside of the profile, which took away from the hoof symbolism, Still working on this piece but trying to get it to a state that's good enough to pass over to a modeller to complete and rig whilst I'm away on holiday.

To support that, I am exploring audio and written content as well. Audio has influenced my work for a long time, and I think it can add depth to the world without demanding the same production time as full animation. I have organised the world structure and asked a copywriter to help refine it into a guide so that other writers and voice actors can contribute confidently.

So the short version is that I finally have a proper plan, and I am excited to start moving with it.

Inspiration, when it hits. hits hard and true, this was my take on a ball massager inspired by some of Neocorona's work, though I'm considering a revision/variant that will fit into the tentacle 'set' nicer.

On the animation side, many of you have asked to see Lara in my scenes, along with a revisit to the mechanically insistent pleasure scenario. The two ideas fit together nicely and I want to explore that fully after the holidays. For now, I have created a small re-imagining inspired by the original Lara Croft pin-up, which let me test the new model and get a feel for how she moves. I've requested a little voice work to bring the preview to life and thought it would be a nice piece to share before I step into the next major project.

That is everything, Ciao for niaou!