November Ramble-rabble

It hit me today that November is almost over.  In fact, the YEAR is almost over.  Its been a blur.  Its all streaked by, yet parts of it feel like a practical joke that went too far and have taken on abstract qualities.  Its a very strange thing to watch from the sidelines, but if you blink, you miss it.

I've hit a better middle ground between taking a day off each week, and getting art out the door, though in the last month and a half my sketch-time has suffered due to some family illnesses that suddenly hit.  The tribe here is doing okay, in some cases even stronger, but its been a litany of waiting rooms and professionals scratching their chins.

One such medical instance was one of my cats, Smokey (though I call him little shadow, since he's always there, by my side) has developed a cough that started picking up for the last three weeks.  The admittedly early prognosis is that he's developed feline asthma.  He's seemingly fine otherwise though.

He's likely going to have to go back in, however.  The cough still returns despite being on a five day dose of corticosteroids, which might point to a couple other possibilities.  Whatever it may be, we'll figure it out.  There's no panic, just wonder and worry at what he's got himself into.

I also seemed to have had lost, at least for a while, interest in doing anything fantasy or 'D&D' game related.  I had planned to get a map done every month for kicks as well, but had a strangely overwhelming feeling of ennui about the genre.  Which meant getting artwork done of the world, and people, and battling skeletons and large things that wanted to eat the character suddenly didn't seem very appealing.  I ping-ponged around trying to figure out a subject to sketch and paint.

It took a while to realize it was a few factors that were leeching from my creative drive.  Medical reasons was definitely a big factor, though another was the ensuing stress that came along with it.  Its funny, I used to think 'stress is the silent killer' was just a cliche.  But its stunning just how much it can eat away at you without even realizing it.  I wasn't taking days off, I was finding 'other work' to do, and chewing down my nails to the bone.  It just sapped my drive to want to do much beyond stare at Netflix, and even that wasn't holding my attention.

But I've started feeling much better about where I am again.  Last weekend I took a day off to play games on Steam I've had sitting there, and medical things were looked after.  I've started watching and listening to, unashamedly, streams and podcasts about a variety of games.  Its finally lit the pilot light again.

Going forward, I'm looking into getting some places solidified.  Places like the Dreaming Titans (Towers), Kivesk, the Andormir Academy (Sort of like Hogwarts but with more owlbears) and about a dozen more locations that are all rattling around in my head like lost monopoly pieces in a fish bowl.

And of course, more pictures of various critters that inhabit the ball of moss that is Felwroth.  Wolf folk, Equine folk, Goat folk and everything in between.  Humanity is still the largest population, and that will be represented as well.  I still want to get the races of Felwroth lineup done for females of each of the races, and actually get them inked and coloured.  I plan on printing a set out to have in the game room as a quick guide to what is out there.

Lastly, I've sent out the notification to the next person on the $10 tier list for their sketch, and had a couple new editions to the list (hello!).  They've been added in as well.  I'm still humbled that people give anything for my mad scribblings of pantsless (well, mostly) critters.  I can't thank you all enough, past and present.  It has helped immensely.  Its given me opportunities to learn more and more as well.

Hoping December is kind to you all.

May your stockings have otters.

-T.J.