Also I'm now on #Flashes, the Instagram rival from #BlueSkySocial. You can choose to connect it to an existing BlueSky account, or start a new one specifically for Flashes, which is great for people who want something oriented to images, like artists.

I have decided I’ll post my commissions rules tomorrow in a new image file. Please read them careful if you plan to commission me. Also due to my current situation I will not be underselling myself, so please keep that in mind.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/new-members-not-123550967

NEW MEMBERS: REMEMBER NOT TO PAY MY PATREON THROUGH THE PHONE APP, ONLY THE DESKTOP, IF YOU DO NOT WANT THE 30% ADDED! This does not affect existing members! You can go to your settings to determine if you or the creator will be responsible for the 30% fee.

*I'm no longer using X but I am now on Bluesky under my regular name*

Another serious post. I'm not entirely in the right mindset for hard unfiltered responses at the moment, so please keep that in mind. None of these things are new to my fellow freelance artists, but it needs to be said.

New month, which also mean I asked a supervisor again about the job that has been in a holding pattern since November if there was any update on when work would return, just like I did for January and February. The story never changed, although he did mention the client being "non-committal" to us after leaving us hanging all this time, and we are still waiting for work from them. After a year of consistent pay that has kept me afloat here since last year, it's hard to get into the mindset of moving on, but I have enough receipts to know that I should practice doing that at this moment and not continue waiting. I have more luck getting human responses on sites like Upwork than on LinkedIn. I ideally should apply to a wage job in advertising, but I realize I now have zero skills for that since that industry has rudely changed faster than any human can feasibly adapt to.

I said last year I will be unvealing commission rules soon but held off on that because now I'm wondering if it's even worth doing, or even the RIGHT thing to do. I'm getting to the point where I am now more familiar with how many commissions I have time for without stressing myself out, and it's lower than I want. But that means maybe I'm being too hard on myself, but it's also a huge alarm, as that means my line of work can't sustain itself and I need to reset my life eventually. So yeeeeeeah.

My point isn't entirely new: keep in touch with each other, help each other with any leads we find, and keep surviving. Preferrably a lead for a job that is on-going and consistent, until it .... inevitably is NOT ... anymore ... like this last one became. I may need to reset my life.

The first Tolland, Inc. book in 5 years is finally here on Lulu.com (and coming soon to Amazon in a few weeks) and I was the illustrator for the entire thing, from character design, to the pages, to the cover, and even to the title logo! Join a timid shrimp named Krilliam and a brash blobfish named Blob as they set aside their differences to survive the perilous open ocean.

This book would not be possible without the the guidance and authorship of Tolland founder and head, Zachary Strobel, and animator/character designer Dave Alvarez. We wanted the book’s illustrations and story to look and feel like a traditionally-animated movie from the 1990s or early 2000s, and I think we achieved that goal! Please consider ordering your copy of this fun, one-of-a-kind book that will have you and your whole family laughing and entertained. Thank you all for your support!

ORDER YOUR COPY NOW ON LULU HERE:

https://www.lulu.com/shop/zachary-strobel-and-andrew-kaiko/blob-and-krilliam/paperback/product-5764ezq.html

A Hero Awakens—Book 1 in the #PillowMan series, the book I drew the cover for, is now relaunched, written by Nate Burns and Blake Hoena! The author noted there was a printing error in the first shipments, so he looked into it with Amazon and fixed it. It's about a boy with a not-quite "super"-power who deals with handling it!

Available on Amazon Kindle! https://www.amazon.com/Hero-Awakens-Pillow.../dp/B0CVZC3CC5/

And please support Flat Sole Studios' published titles on their Linktree! http://linktr.ee/flatsolestudio

I will not be sharing new videos from Dtoons Productions until further notice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vJwmEYbw58

February is becoming the month of freelance accouncements! StoryCorps has been around for a looong time and I do know they go to New York animators a lot for their episodes, so it's astounding to me that I only now joined as an animator along with Aabha Sewak. This one was uploaded for Valentines Day. I animated the scenes of the two in their chairs, talking to each other. Thanks to director Richard O'Connor!

Storycorps is an original production from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in partnership with NPR, POV, and the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Please consider donating especially in this turbulent time! https://storycorps.org/donate

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ndEXRidcCtY

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tCWKJoYs1Uc

I am all over this one: layout, prop design, effects design, background art, Super Conroy rig! Subscribe to the @Dtoons channel and boost their views!! #sonic #chaosemeralds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBnpQiHUTg4

This is my first animation job for #Psych2Go, an educational mental wellness YouTube channel. I am using their OCs, cute blank figures with plants for hair. They hire all types of animators who each have their own take on the characters and interpret the world they live in in their own way! In this production, I was provided a script and voice audio file so I had to create the animatic too. It was an analytical challenge as I attempted to translate abstract ideas into something that's easy to understand through visuals. This was a fulfilling project and I thank them for bringing me on! #narcassist #narcassists #empath #empaths

I also created the thumbnail art!

*Disclaimer:* This video is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice. If you need support, please seek help from a qualified professional.