the dreaded chronic fatigue cycle
i haven't been able to make much art lately. which is pretty frustrating, because i genuinely want to work on art. but i have been nonstop stressed for the past month. and unfortunately, being stressed out makes my health problems flare up, which means that my ability to concentrate goes completely out the window.
every now and then, i'll pull out my sketchbook to doodle something, or sketching stuff in MS Paint, or whatever. i'm trying to keep my creative skills engaged, even if it's in small amounts. but man... it's rough. i keep fantasizing about drawing beautiful illustrations, and not having the physical strength to do anything about it.
i'm accustomed to this cycle, but that doesn't make it any less miserable, you know? i can't even begin to count how many times i've been through this. my best coping method for this dreaded cycle is to avoid beating myself up over it, try to be patient and forgiving with myself, and chip away at projects when i'm able to.
it feels kind of embarrassing to keep reposting art from my archives, though. i've been posting art to mastodon/bluesky, since i'm trying to rebuild my online presence in a post-cohost world. and... i desperately wish i had newer pieces to show. it'll happen when it happens - i shouldn't risk pushing my body further when i'm already in a lot of pain - but i still feel sad about it.
just gotta take a deep breath, and be patient. in the meantime, i'd like to take the downtime to study art styles i find compelling. i've gravitated towards 90s anime fantasy art for years, despite my shockingly-minimal exposure to anime, so it'd be fun to study some artbooks. and maybe i'll take the time to work on more weird little web projects - we'll see.