2025 Update and thanks

I had to take it a little slower this year. We can call it the year of the blip. The highs were high and the lows were low. To the upmost extreme.

The only thing that keeps anyone going forward in times like these is the gratitude that you feel for those who are around you. As well as stripping yourself down to basics.

Having skipped birthdays and Christmas for ourselves for the most part this year. As well as not really being able to go anywhere. The one holiday we did take basically we are still feeling the effects of now. Has brough to my attention just how little I need to be happy. We cancelled basically every membership except this month’s Netflix just for stranger things only to be cancelled again (this is quite an event, rather lavish really). Buy reduced foods and or veggies. I had to fight for my gym membership and even that ultimately died its death for a while lol. Its all gone but it feels no different. I think growing up and losing our house really did change my perspective even as a child. I have been lucky in my life that ‘want’ isn’t something that lingers with me. Unironically the story of Epicurus being happy with some beats and cheese is something I feel almost kindred with.

So, I am going to break it down into what I am thankful for and hopefully you guys will have things spring to mind too.

1.      My partner doesn’t share in ease of the lower state that is our existence together. So I am thankful that she still gets to get the oddities that bring her joy. I am also thankful that she’s been watching frugal fit mum on YouTube and the oddities are cheaper now too.

2.      I am thankful for my partners family who have helped us in ways that cannot be measured as well as ones that can. Like taking her out to eat once a week and giving her a piece of the old life.

3.      My family does something similar with me but quite frankly I would go there to see them and eat nothing and we could all be poor together as far as I care. Being there is enough.

4.      I’m thankful for the people I study and help me come to terms with the deeper aspects of my life. Like Joe Folley, Alex O’connor, Jordan Peterson and especially Stephen West. The man never stops cook’n.

5.      Not to mention all the books that I have managed to gather from charity shops. God bless charity shops is all I gotta say. I have like thousands of pound worth of books and I spent maybe 10% of that wholesale.

6.      I’m thankful for all the support I get from followers and even strangers who like the work that I am doing. Fun story I have even had print companies message me with compliments during production which is nice.

7.      Now the silly stuff. I’m not a fan of possessions or gifts or anything monetary really. However, I am thankful for anyone and everyone who has paid for my service to create work for them and or purchased work I have made. It seems silly but when people resonate enough with something that they will pay a monetary fee. Crazy joy. Special shout out to flittlocke as the sole heir to Patreon! As well as a commissioner.

8.      Baths. The simple joy of just hot water is something that’s just crazy to me still. I grew up and we had to turn the heater on like hours in advanced just to have a bath. I can wake up in the morning and either just shower myself off in bliss or if there’s time even lay in the bath and just read for an hour, most of the time in peace.

9.      Bacon and eggs. Whoever designed bacon and eggs, whatever deity, angel or extra-terrestrial that grew those in a cultivation chamber in the cosmos. Is the goat. Perfect food. No notes. I eat it every morning and my fitness apps says wow bro be careful now your 350mg over your cholesterol for the day their bucko. Every, single, day.

10.  I know it seems I’m pushing for ten but those last to simple pleasures are just the two I will name. There are so many tiny things that pass notice. Smiles from strangers, conversations with the likeminded, free time in general, so much media to consume that we even care if its good, a warm dry home I own, etc. The list goes on. We will just keep it at ten though.

All of this is what keeps us going through the lowest we feel. As well as acts as a guiding force in our day to day.

I have a slideshow of all the things of note that happened this year. Business related of course. I could take sarcastic pictures that recreate me reading something with a pipe shouting eureka! every month but let’s not do that.

·         February - Finished new comic

·         March - Comic book released

·         August – Comic books arrive

·         August - Newport Con

·         October - Cardiff Con

Thanks for all the support it means the world!

Matt