Thanks 'n' such

You've probably noticed I end nearly all of my posts here with "Thanks <3". Gratitude is something I struggle with expressing in full. I don't have trouble saying the words "Thank you" to people when appropriate, but I've always wondered whether that comes across as hollow. Even the little salutation I repeat here online is just that; a habit. But it's also a habit I developed deliberately (right down to the little heart emoticon) because I don't want things to get twisted.

For those in the United States, today is Thanksgiving Day. Don't worry, I'm not going to take up a bunch of your time with sentimental nonsense, and the exceedingly troubling historical justification for the holiday does not go unnoticed either. But I think if there's one Thanksgiving tradition that's worth observing it's simply taking the time to reflect on what makes you grateful in life, and expressing that gratitude to the people who make it possible.

Over the past year I've been shown more than just financial support from you, my Patrons. I've been given encouraging feedback and the will to keep going. I've been shown that my work has an impact I'll never truly understand the magnitude of. My value as an artist and as a person has been made apparent to me, despite my own attempts to downplay it. Though a number of aspects of my life have become shaky recently, generally I am much happier and more in harmony with the work I do and the life I live.

I truly wish we did not live within a mode of operations where money is a measurement of success, or determines whether an ambition is worthwhile. There will soon be a time where we'll have to talk about that reality and how it relates to my work again. For now I do feel successful in having created multiple hours of content that I'm proud of this year, and that seems to be resonating with y'all as well.

I honestly do not know for certain what lies ahead for me and the entertainment venues that fill my work schedule every week. Perhaps being grateful is little more than comparing the present to a harsh past and a hypothetical future. But even so, when I make that comparison I am so happy to be doing exactly what I am right now. I am incredibly thankful to you all for giving me that push to keep doing this silly thing. And I hope this season you find something in your life that's worth being thankful for, and strive to create even more reasons for others to be thankful in the future.

Thanks <3