May status update (Patreon)

Hello all,

Unfortunately, at the moment I don't have any new artwork to share. This was an update I was hoping not to have to write, but I've been dealing with health problems - most likely some form of carpal tunnel syndrome (possibly tendinitis) in both my left drawing hand as well as my right hand, and have been unable to work since last Tuesday.

I had noticed twinges of discomfort in my wrists, and other symptoms creeping up on me over the last couple of months, but they were mild enough that I ignored and powered through them. At first, I tried cutting out extraneous activities like drawing in my sketchbook and playing video games, but the symptoms have continued to get steadily worse to the point where I couldn't draw anymore. I realized that if I didn't take some time off, the damage may become permanent.

This is not the first time I've experienced this type of injury. I struggled with carpal tunnel about ten years ago when I was working under the demands of the publishing industry. Since then I've made a lot of changes which I'd hoped would prevent re-injury, but I guess I've started to overdo it again recently. That said, I'm hoping that this time around, by recognizing the symptoms, and giving myself the time to recover, I can minimize long-term damage.

I have an initial visit with a doctor scheduled for tomorrow, which I'm hoping will provide me with a treatment plan and set me on a path to recovery. I will also be re-examining the ergonomics of my art station to see what can be improved for when I'm able to return to work.

This has been a difficult time for me as I'm not one to just sit around and do nothing. I'm so limited in what I can do without the use of my hands though it has allowed me some time to catch up on my book backlog (most recently I've been reading the Final Fantasy XV "Dawn of the Future" novel, which has been sitting around on my bookshelf unread for several years now. heh. It's a lovely book, expanding upon some of my favorite characters from the game.)

But I feel very stifled creatively. There are so many ideas I'm excited to draw, not to mention the latest character poll results for the month, and I've also been looking forward to returning to making comics this year. In the interim, I'll likely take up writing again with the help of dictation software (also what I'm using to write this post). But there is simply nothing I enjoy more than drawing (beautiful girls, yes especially, but really I just love to draw).

In the meantime, I truly appreciate your patience and understanding. Thank you all. I'll keep you updated on my progress.

-Mina