XaiJu
Marco Castelo Branco
Marco Castelo Branco

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May 2025 Rare Personal Gaz Diary Entry

Heya everyone,

Before we dive into some personal story time, I want to reassure you that the miniatures are still rolling out. In fact, my goal remains the same: to keep pushing my quality forward every month.

Here’s one to look forward to next month — Aorro the Bunny Mage.


Devil Girl Gunslinger

Here is a little insight into my personal life. If that’s not your thing, no worries — feel free to skip this part.

For those who’ve been with me from the early Patreon and Tribes days, there were posts where I used to share a bit more about my journey — not just the art, but the life behind it. Things got a bit more professional over time as there are now a fair few more of you haha. But right now, I just need to share a little of what’s been going on.

This past year has been incredibly tough. Ironically, I think the stress and the instinct to bury myself in work have actually pushed my sculpting to a new level. It’s a strange trade-off — but every challenge seems to be fuelling growth, and I’m proud of where my art is heading.

Late last year, my mum became seriously ill, and there were moments where things felt very uncertain. Thankfully, she’s now on the mend after a major surgery — a quadruple bypass — and I’m so relieved that she’s doing well.

The other big shift in my life is that I’ve gone through a painful separation from my partner of 23 years. It’s been a bit rocky at times, but the final impact came suddenly. I’ll be honest — it’s been incredibly hard. I gave a lot of myself to that relationship, and I don’t regret any of it, but it’s been a lesson in letting go when something stops working.

That said — and I mean this — I’m optimistic about the future. I’ve got a wonderful support network, and this chapter feels like a painful reset that might lead to something stronger down the line.

Minis will keep coming. My daily routine and creative flow haven’t stopped. But a few things, like the long-awaited paint competition, have had to shift. I’m planning to push that toward the end of the year, and I deeply appreciate your patience.

For those who already submitted paint entries — they’re safe and still counted. For anyone still planning to enter, the new deadline is November 30th. This time, I’d love for you to share your entries in the Discord. I really miss the community energy and seeing what you’re all working on. Let’s bring that back.

I’ll wrap it up here. I don’t believe everyone needs to know my life story, but I wanted to be open about what’s been happening behind the scenes. I’m still here, still creating, and if anything, more motivated than ever to make the best miniatures I can in the future.

Thanks for being here. Thanks for your kindness, your patience, and your support.

Much love,
-Gaz (aka Marco)

May 2025 Rare Personal Gaz Diary Entry

Comments

It takes a lot to open up about what goes on in your personal life, but you doing this is very powerful, Gaz. Your determination to continue to work on your art even when things haven't gone well in life is inspiring! I wish you the very best in life, brother. I'm gonna continue to support ya!

TheWittyAdmiral

I'm sorry to hear of these hardsips. Hoping things are soon on the uptake for you. You can do it!

Capsule chibi

I don’t know how close to the beginning me hopping on in 2022 is for you, but it’s been an absolutely amazing 3 years watching you grow as an artist. Like you said, I hope this is a healthy opportunity for you to grow as a person now too, and we’re here to support you. I always think life should come first, if you need a break, or to slow down, we’re here to support you through that too. Good luck bud, you deserve all the happiness and success you’ve earned.

Doa


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