The watercooler: a place to chat

[Shanny8]

Been trying to be extremely lazy this weekend but I still have a MerMay piece I need to work on(AND will be late with it) plus I had to do laundry yesterday...also trying to adjust my mindset since it's [unofficially] summer now, so trying to just be loose & chill- but since I'm an adult and still have to work my RL job I cant as "loose and chill" as I want

[reapcykesart]

I've been working on my art portfolio lately, mostly just updating old OC renders to fit with my current art style. I feel really tired now, but I my mind feels so hardcoded to work that I don't know what to do while taking a break... other than just wandering around in forums out of boredom.

[Shanny8]

Will be mowing the front lawn AGAIN because the rain over the past couple of weeks have made it grow fast...gonna also start back watching the rest of my Transformers 80s DVD set(plus the animated movie)- but FIRST gonna watch this Lawman Bass Reeves thing that came out on Netflix(Black lawman in the old west)

Since my anxiety has calmed down a bit from a couple of weeks ago(during the holiday weekend when I really needed a day off) I'm gonna try to get back to work on the piece; I just hope the lawn mowing doesn't zap all my energy.

[Shanny8]

Mowed the front lawn and it zapped my energy again...also I crashed on Friday night after having to be in at the RL job early; I was doing okay on the first leg of mowing the lawn because it was kinda cool outside but then the weather got hot and after I finished, I had to still run and get groceries- once I got home, I was done for the rest of the day.

I did watch the Bass Reeves show, but didnt get to watch Transformers, so that will be next weekend's agenda. Sunday I grilled some more burgers & hot dogs so that ate up a big chunk of time...even though I'm adjusting my room settings at night so that it stays cool when I sleep, I didnt get enough rest last night, so I'll be trying to adjust the time that I slide into bed this week so that I can get enough rest.

Went back to the [company] gym last week to start back exercising- I feel good about that after I had to stop last year in May because of the house move & never got back...so everything right now is me trying to adjust and make sure I'm getting the rest that I need.

[VibrantFox]

so genuinely kinda losing sense of time/reality a bit since day job has cut me down to like one (maybe two if i'm lucky) days of work per week, which has also been a financial nightmare so i'm both trying to get some kind of art income/activity going again and applying to basically anything that's hiring in my area with a decent pay rate and like actually guaranteed hour minimus because i'm tired of being lied to about part time but 0 is an option for minimum number of hours

that aside i've got a small freebie art giveaway thing happening on my twitter and bluesky in hopes of getting a bit more visibility but also having new commission/artwork samples to go up on my vgen and ko-fi galleries. which on that topic also working on a new ko-fi blog update since it's been a couple months and then gonna see if i can add some graphics to my vgen tos after seeing a post from this artist, sneaky_egg on twitter, that had aiding visuals to explain usage licenses for their commissions and some other things

it'd be nice to be doing any of this with a clearer head especially with the way its already very hot here but at this point i'm just doing what i can and hoping for the best

[Shanny8]

Keep at it...hope something good comes your way!

[reapcykesart]

Finally working on the thumbnails for my webcomic's next chapter!

[Shanny8]

So I finally accepted that my motivation isn't gonna be sparked by trying to get back to my [belated] MerMay project and I need to move to an idea that will...I want the piece to look dynamic, and the only way it can is if I'm excited about working on it; I was- I just need to recapture that energy.

So gonna move on to another project/idea & come back to MerMay piece when my interest piques again...

But first I gotta get my energy up- it seems these past few weeks since I had to adjust my work hours I've been too tired to focus when I get home; then my weekends have been consumed with the lawn, which saps my mental AND physical energy

[Lensing]

I think I´ll buy this guitar case, it got fake leopard fur on the inside.
It´s a nobrainer, I need this

[feuersichel]

Sometimes, you just have to get yourself a treat

[abigaillmartin]

Found myself a treat this morning

I’ve never seen this one before and I’m glad I found it 🥺

Also I’ll be having a literal treat. My apartment complex is hosting a s’mores night tonight ️
S’mores! 🥺

[Shanny8]

Had a really turbulent week this week- taking today(Friday) off and trying to rest up and do nothing(except maybe some art)

[abigaillmartin]

So sorry to hear that. Lately I’ve been walking around the indoor track at my school to help with my anxiety and depression. It’s been really helpful with that.
Is everything at least alright now?

[Shanny8]

On its way to being okay...just been low key stressed coz I haven't been motivated or have the energy to work on my art for the past few weeks; real life job folks have been getting on my nerves half assing their work, making mine even more difficult, and then Monday I was involved in a car accident(got rear ended & kinda been stressing about if my car is okay- cosmetically it looks okay and drives, but underneath I dont know); dude's insurance company called today and they're going to cover the repairs...

[allenT]

I'm excited with the very-soon releasing of Hunter x Hunter manga chapters. X~X

[Shanny8]

Started on a new piece and I'm really joyed! In the pencil stages right now but it's turning out well...

Jumped out & mowed the front lawn yesterday evening...had the teens(nephews) trim down spots/the edges of yard and picked up small branches- usually the yardwork knocks me on my ass for the day and I'm zonked, but I guess me being really hyped about getting the new art started kept me energized.

Gotta figure out which day I'm taking my vehicle in to the collision shop to get it looked at and fixed(the back bumper molding is popped out & I'm making sure there is no underneath front/rear damage); if repairs take a number of days they've also agreed to cover a rental vehicle for me to use to get to work and home...

Trying to figure out a new library book to read in the midst of all of this- I like that I want to read books again but trying to find a nice sci-fi or fantasy type one...the current one I'm looking at has about 430 pages; also started back watching Transformers- I finished season 2 & watched the animated movie(it's also supposed to be coming BACK to theaters for its 40th anniversary)...currently watching season 3, but the watch is going slow coz I'm still trying to keep up on certain summer anime and watching WNBA(basketball) on the weekends.

[Shanny8]

Dragged through last week about taking my vehicle in so it GOTTA happen this week- by tomorrow.

Gonna wait about picking a book to read until after this week...

While I'm [kinda] excited because it's a 4-day work week(because of the holiday), I'm not enthused about the tone of this week. I do feel kinda good coz I was able to order some winter socks from my list(that I'll be able to have for winter this year) because they were on sale & I was able to buy me some new plain t-shirts for work(a 10 pack- had been rotating a couple for the last 3 years and they are DONE), so this stuff is off my "replace work clothes" shopping list- so the only things I have left are to get some new work [polo style] shirts to replace some current ones that are going to pieces...

The art is coming along; in the coloring stage but trying to take it easy and pace myself .

[Shanny8]

Took another night off from the art- I was tired and also needed to get sleep coz I'm taking in the vehicle this morning; getting a rental until the car is fixed(courtesy of dude's insurance company).

[abigaillmartin]

I have a huge painful strain in my back and I tried everything. Stretching, walking, stretching more, hot water.
Yeah I don’t know what’s wrong. It could be anxiety strains I get.

[VibrantFox]

hope the pain subsides @abigaillmartin

---

feel like the month's completely slipped away from me but despite it all it seems like we're okay. didn't get anything in the way of commissions but by nothing but the grace of god i think we've managed to mostly catch up on all the bills just have to get june's light bill before the extension date which i should manage when next paycheck hits (praying)

spent most of my creative energy chipping away at layout stuff for my ko-fi page so promo images look a lil more cohesive style-wise and then adopt redesigns and one new one which none are done but hoping maybe i can knock em out within the week. if i do work on personal pieces, if i can muster the motivation, i've got an oc/cannon wip i started playing with, some character sheet/sketchpage stuff and then i've still been playing around with comic thumbnails even tho idk if i'm gonna do anything with em

then ive got my bday this saturday which i'm working that day so i don't feel like bothering with plans especially since payday aint till next week but it's got me contemplating again on whether or not i wanna bother with setting up a throne page or if i'm too "small" for that so idk. probably just gonna game or something and try to snag a few bday freebies from any places i still have a member card for (if they're open) if i have the time to spare before or after work. copium has me hoping maybe coworkers might do something but....doubt lol

but i think the overall bleh feeling is maybe wading back into burnout or just general lack of motivation but hopefully something lights the fire again and i'll be back to some kinda normal. till then i'm riding on upcoming releases like the mermaid mask and a new boss being added to a game i reg and then enjoying deltarune new chapter stuff by proxy through lets plays n clips so it aint much but its somethin'