Updates and more activity

Okay so right down to business: One huge factor in why I've barely been on Patreon and DeviantART this year and have mainly been using Instagram to share art and stuff on is that due to my breakup last Christmas I've been living in my mum's attic for... *counts on fingers*  ...well, many months.. and the wifi reception up here is bad. ...Or okay no, it's not that bad. It's dreadful. I purchased a wifi amplifier to get a better signal up here and thanks to that I can write this and use the Google search bar. But as some of you saw from my optimistic attempts at streaming earlier this year; I can't.

My year's also been full of obstacles and more inner stress than I know how to deal with and on what seems like a 24/7 basis. I honestly haven't had the energy to draw much at all, and I've had to prioritise drawing the layouts for volume one of the SPiKE Graphic Novel and otherwise try improving my skills and learn new techniques and whatnot. And I still feel bad for how I can't show you guys what I've been working on. Previously it was because I wanted to avoid spoilers, now it's because my publisher's told me not to leak anything from Volume One, including that we're working on a Volume One, but I've still leaked a few things because I didn't want you guys thinking I'd bailed on you or abandoned the project, and also being super excited about it all and really really really wanting to show you what I'm working on.

I have been wanting to draw every day, but have felt either too mentally exhausted to do anything other than do the one thing I've found aside from nicotine or my medicine (both of which I refuse to use) that silences my brain: playing Skyrim,
or I have been sooo ready to draw, but have been hindered to do so, because other things are more urgent or because I can't get any work done during daytime. I mean, when I live alone I can, but in my current living condition it has felt impossible except for during the nights, but when I draw at night it affects everything else during the day.

And this is just barely grazing the tip of the massive iceberg of issues I call "2018".

But -  and here's the good news - I'm moving out! (Holy fuck I hope I don't jinx it by saying this.. *knocks on wood*)

Later this month I'm finally moving to my own apartment.

Finding one that's affordable and allows pets and is conveniently located, isn't in someone's basement or attic, isn't a shared flat, and isn't an overpriced dump, has been... Well, not impossible but definitely close to, or so it has felt.

But now I'm moving in to a place just like that. Not an overpriced dump I mean, but a flat that is not just great but almost perfect <3 I can have pets there, it's nice and spacious enough for me and my pets, it even has a bedroom! 

And - here's the good news for you guys; it has really good wifi!

I'll need October to get settled in, but come November and I'll finally be able to stream again!

Things are finally starting to look brighter again (I really fucking hope I'm not jinxing this *knocks frantically*). And you know, I probably wouldn't have been able to move to this apartment at all if it hadn't been for you guys and your pledges. Money is scarce cause the rent is very high, but thanks to you guys I can actually make it.
Fingers crossed me and my publisher get our grant this winter and then I'll be a (holy shit *punches wood*) full time graphic novelist with the first volume of her graphic novel series coming out soon.

And also with the additional family member of Jake the puppy (*breaks the floorboards*). Gosh, I've been wanting to have two dogs for .. for always I think XD I once heard someone say that the first dog is the dog that gives you so much that the first dog is usually the reason for the second dog, and I feel like that is spot on. Marcie's endlessly precious to me and nobody could ever replace her, same as she doesn't replace any of my former dogs; sadly I didn't get to have those dogs for as long as I had hoped. First dog I had was eventually re-homed because - and get this - my then boyfriend was allergic to her and also she needed a home with a yard she could run freely outside on and I was moving to an apartment that didn't have that. What I learned from that is that if you have a dog, fucking move to a place that the dog will like too, and if your boyfriend is allergic to your dog - hug your boyfriend goodbye because fuck you nobody's getting between me and my dogs anymore. And thirdly; don't let your insecurities make you agree with people who try to convince you a dog is a bad idea when you deep down know that it's not.
Second dog I had I followed those rules with. I got her because - I - wanted to have her, and I knew I could make it. Boyfriend was allergic to her, so he could decide for himself whether he wanted to stay with us or not. Lived in  animal friendly places. Tragically though, she got terminally ill and had to be put down. But she was so, so loved throughout the brief few years we had her. My brother's even named one of his kids after her, and the veterinary's office was crowded when she had to be put to sleep because we all wanted to be there for her and say our goodbyes. Some felt it too heartbreaking to be with her when she got the final injection, but I held her in my arms as she did and she was surrounded by many of her loved ones.
She'd meant the world to be and everything just felt so wrong and empty without her. I had thought I'd never be able to get another dog because the grief of losing them was just too hard... But the grief of not having a dog at all just made the grief of losing one prolonged, so pretty soon I was online looking for dogs again. And I was determined to adopt one again same as I had with her. But then Marcie showed up, and I just instantly fell in love. Not literally though, but you get what I mean, right? Like, all dogs and puppies are cute, but every now and then, very seldom but also unforgettably, this one very special dog shows up and you can just tell that they are your dog, even if they aren't yet. Noah had been one such dog, and Marcie was one such dog, and she's been My Dog for all of her seven years now <3
With Noah I wanted another pack member, not because she wasn't enough, but because I was sure we would both love to have another dog in our lives. Noah shared homes with two other dogs now and then in the times where I shared homes with someone who had another dog. ..Mainly my mum.
Marcie's mostly lived alone, or alone as in being an only dog, but she loves the company of other dogs and I've been trying to get a doggy companion for her pretty much all the time. First boyfriend said no, no more dogs, simply because he didn't want to. Second boyfriend said the exact same thing.
Now that Marcie and me have lived with my mum for a long while, Marcie's had mum's dog William to play and cuddle and live with, and the look in her eyes says it all. She needs another dog in her life too.
So now that we're moving out and are gonna be on our own again, I am getting us a dog. I have a boyfriend now too, but we don't live together, and more importantly - when I asked him what he would think if I were to get another dog, he said "I think you should go for it. Why not, you know? Do what makes YOU happy!" So yeah, he's a keeper, AND me and Marcie are getting a dog!
I haven't decided on naming him Jake yet, but so far it's the best suggestion. Me and my boyfriend talked about it when we were out hiking in the woods recently - or, rather, I talked a lot about dogs and he was nice enough to listen, like, really listen (and not just pretending to all the while expressing or bringing it up later that he really don't, cause this is a guy who says what he means and means what he says, who isn't afraid to tell me that he disagrees or doesn't want to to something, who is very honest, and who luckily also is a genuinely nice person)
I asked him if he wanted to see the photos I had of the puppy (instinctively hesitant to ask, because I am used to people being hella fed up with my doggy-rants at this point) and he smiled like "I think you've showed me already before, but sure!" and I showed him the photos I'd gotten from the breeder (proper breeder, not a mill, I do my research) of this gorgeous little miniature bull terrier puppy I was utterly obsessed over, and asked him if he had any name suggestions. He gave it some thought, and said "what about Jake? Marcie's already named after an Adventure Time character, right? So why not continue that tradition maybe?" I just found that so charming and caring, and I had already been trying to come up with a short and cute name for the puppy, but had only come up with Sharky or Jack, but "Marcie and Sharky" was too similar in sound so it might confuse them, and Jack sounded cool but not cute enough. But Jake, I really liked the sound of that. Marcie and Jake. Marcie admittedly looks more like the character Jake though ;) but she and the puppy have very similar colors and markings (see why I fell for that particular puppy? ;) jk... it was the eyes :) You can tell a lot about a dog or puppy's personality by reading the look in their eyes, and according to the breeder my guesses of his personality were right) . . 

I lost track..

How did we go from Wifi to puppies? XD

I somehow always end up talking about dogs...

Aw well.

Summary:

I'm moving house. New place's got good wifi, meaning I can finally start streaming and be more active on Patreon and Deviantart. Also me and Marcie are getting a puppy!
I update more art (sketches for the most part) on my instagram accounts: oomizuart (for the art) and ozoozou (for all my random shit).

And   Y O U  are  AWESOME and AMAZING for contributing to making this all happen <3 Thanks to your pledges I can finally go live on my own now, so thank you so much <3 Massive virtual hugs coming your way <3