Haii ppl!! If you’ve noticed a radio silence from me for the past month, I didn't mean for it to happen... but life decided to throw a bunch of shit at me all at once. I’m.. back now, and I want to share where I’ve been. It’s been a wild ride, to say the least.

1. My 85-year-old grandfather, my mom’s father, was recently diagnosed with dementia. This comes just months after we were grappling with his kidney failure diagnosis back in May of last year. And I am sure how it feels when it comes to having a loved one being diagnosed with a chronic disease like this. His memory isn't working properly, and his behavior has become.. quite unpredictable.

The most difficult part right now is how stubborn he's been acting; he’s unwilling to listen to my mom or grandma when they try to get him to rest, especially with the trouble he has with controlling his constant need to use the bathroom and his trouble with walking due to his terribly swollen feet.

Me and my family have a strong feeling that he might not make it throughout this year. He’s been a very important source of love and care for our family, and to see him like this... just breaks our hearts. So, if you can, please send some prayers for him.

2. I have unfortunately managed to temporarily close my commissions, due to facing extreme scamming and fraud that I have faced from someone pretending to be a staff member from Outreach International (a donation company of some sort??, which from my research after the incident doesnt allow job applications). The person said they were launching a new initiative and were specifically looking for a Kids Illustrator for a series of children’s books. Given that creating art for a young audience is my specialty and passion, I was... quite ecstatic about the opportunity.

After a casual interview on Flock, she sent me four checks to cover the costs of "necessary equipment" for the job. I already have my tools, but I was still excited by the opportunity that I didn't question it too deeply. Things.. soon started to feel a bit off when she asked me to send her the transaction details for the equipment payments. I was confused but, wanting to be cooperative, I complied. I authorized the transactions, but she kept insisting the payments were "still processing" and that I needed to send more. It wasn't until this past Tuesday, when I saw that my bank balance became suddenly under -$1,790.

My mother and I were, to put it mildly, fucking furious. We immediately contacted our local bank, who confirmed the checks were completely fraudulent and the whole thing was a scam. We had to let them temporarily close my bank account to stop the bleeding and display a formal investigation.

When I desperately contacted the scammer, she brushed me off with excuses about needing to talk to her "vendor" and "account department." When my mother and older sister confronted her directly however, she turned a 180 and threw a huge tantrum and outright denied everything. The audacity of a presumably grown-ass adult deliberately taking advantage of a naive young adult and artist just trying to apply for their dream job is… honestly so sickening and sad, especially with how they act for their age.. :(

Right now, we’re waiting for the investigation to conclude. I’m praying I can receive my hard-earned money back, and that this woman’s money-hungry, broke ass sees the inside of a jail cell. I’m closing commissions until this is fully resolved to ensure my financial safety. And please, let my story be a warning to you: if an "opportunity" seems too good to be true, it almost always is. Never let your excitement override your caution. Trust nothing and no one without careful verification.

3. Aside from all this, there was one thing I could control: my work for school. I guess I carried all my stress and anxiety into my assignments because I somehow managed to pull a Sonic the Hedgehog.

I started my second semester of my senior year on January 6th… and finished every single assignment by January 29th. I’ve never finished a semester so early in my life. It was a relentless grind, a big drain, but it was worth it. I cleared the semester with 5 As and 1 B. Knowing that mountain of schoolwork was behind me was a huge relief, especially with everything else going on.

4. And because my brain apparently doesn’t know how to rest, I immediately poured all my sweat, blood, and love into my Toyhouse and ArtFight pages. I’ve been desperate to get my character pages organized, and I finally did it. I finished all their pages and introduced a whole squad of brand-new OCs who have been invading my head for months. It feels very good to finally have them designed, named, and brought into the world.

Soo... yea! The schoolwork mountain has just been conquered. The OCs are settled and ready for their close-ups. The heartbreaking reality of my grandfather’s health and the investigation into the job application scam are ongoing battles.

But I am feeling a creative tingle again. I’m... kinda hyped to get back to creating and sharing my work with you all here. This platform has always felt like a genuine community, the one art site I can truly count on. Thank you, for being patient with me and for sticking around while I was in the zone. Your support means everything. <3

~ Ayla