MONTHLY Community Update: JUNE 2023 (Patreon)

Oh man I'm a bit late with this one

WELL it has been a weird June, not to mention a busy one! 

For a bit more personal update regarding my health:

For those who don't know, I've been dealing with a hyperactive Thyroid since January this year and been on medical treatment for a good four months now. It's not getting worse, but it's also not getting BETTER and my doctor seems kind of helpless... So I'll be starting a TCM treatment next week! Chinese medicine has previously really helped my mother with another sickness, so I'm fairly optimistic about it! 

On ANOTHER note, I've now switched insurances, finally entering german health care for artists specifically! bUT OF COURSE there's been some MISHAPS, as the Künstlersozialkasse (german artists insurance) accidentally applied me for healthcare in a different state. You know. Instead of the one I LIVE IN.
So I'm now sitting here waiting to finally get ACTUALLY insured. The staff at my doctors office are now refusing to let me enter the building because of that. AS IF I'm suddenly a CRIMINAL just because my insurance failed to correctly apply me and send me an insurance card 😂 Well, SCREW THEM I GUESS 😤
It's not as bad as it sounds, it's just inconvenient as it slows down my progress, like physio therapy for my arm. I'm still on Hiatus with Commissions because of that, but I hope to be able to pick them up again soon to pay for the TCM treatment! If only Chinese medicine would finally earn some more respect and get covered by regular healthcare, it's a 3000 year old therapy after all GODDANGIT 😂 

If I can't take on commissions I might do a Livestream on Youtube doing paid requests through stream donations, that could also be an option. If I decide to do that tho I will make a proper announcement for it this time!

OK THAT'S ALL THE PERSONAL STUFF, MOVING ON

PLANS FOR THIS MONTH:

• I'll continue work on the backgrounds for the next comic this month! Usually I work on panels individually and never do just ONE THING but a bit of everything, but THIS time I want to get the backgrounds ALL out of the way first to then settle on a consistent color palette for shading.
  
• The video script for my Bella Sara video essay is nearly complete! I am not quite happy with the ending yet, which of course is always the hardest part to write, it needs a proper conclusion. I think even with the script done, it will take a LONG time to film and edit, so WHO KNOWS when it's gonna come out, but I'll keep you guys updated regardless!
  
• I want to try to get more active online again. During the last couple of weeks I've been quite neglectful of my social media presence as I was simply EXHAUSTED from it and the constant work I put into it almost each and every day. I still get stressed thinking about it, but I want to start slowly, as I could share some of the fakemons I recently posted here. I'll finish their Pokedex cards this month so they can be published

Something on my list I want to talk about in more detail:

I think I'm getting back into the swing of things with my Gardendragon books. I have a REALLY strong desire to finally publish them again through a new publishing house and after a long wait, my spark to work on the next book has also returned.
Because truth is, as devastating as this may sound, I've recently found myself not being very happy with the projects I'm working on anymore. The comics, the videos, my fakemon...they're still fun, but they have not been feeling fulfilling. I found myself feeling alone with everything I do. Because I AM doing them alone. And I no longer want that in my life. Everything I do suddenly felt aimless and I felt lost. And while it always warms my heart to receive your lovely comments to the things I upload, nothing I do right now gets me out of this room I'm sititng in, working alone on everything. And I WANT to get out there, I want to show myself, I want to show everyone my books and want people to be able to read them and I want to work with new people to get the books out, give signing hours and book meetings and readings and interviews, I want my stories to be SEEN.

SO while I'll still continue work on my usual projects I listed above, I've started to work on my third novel and have reworked my application for the next publishing house I want to contact. I want to draw more gardendragons to use as promo-material too.
And something that's REALLY crucial for the success of the books:
The amazon entries GOT to go. I CANNOT republish Fio & Tika as long as its still available for sale elsewhere. 

I will start an advertisement campaign on ALL my socials for the final copies to finally get sold. And then I'll have to contact my old publisher to message amazon, because they unfortunately also sell an e-book version of "Fio & Tika", which would enable them to keep the book in their shop. It NEEDS to be shut down so I have a chance to publish my next novels at a new house. This is my most URGENT mission for this month, so I can send out my next application in good conscience as soon as possible. 

I'm pretty sure all my german patrons on here are already familiar with my books (thank you to ALL of you have already bought and read my books ;w;), but in case you SHOULDN'T and know how to read german, here is a link to the amazon offer:
FIo & Tika on amazon

If you want to read it yourself or gift it to a friend, this may be your last chance to get this book before it disappears for an unknown time! Not to mention I have no idea how it will look like under a new contract... so right now this is the PUREST 1:1 version of my writing you can find!

So yeah, I will focus more on my Gardendragon books now in hopes of building myself a more lively, enriching future with new people and new career opportunities ;w; I want to get out there and share my dragons with the world!!

And I hope you guys will continue to walk with me on this path ;w; I'd love to share this journey with you! I'll keep working on the comics and my regular art too, I'll just prioritize the dragons more.

Thank you for reading yet another RIDICULOUSLY long monthly update and thank you all SO MUCH for your contineous support!! 💖 It really means the world to me to have you guys around! 🥰💖❤️🧡💛💚💙💜💕💖💝
Thank you! ;w;
Best wishes,
~Eleanor