🐌 August Diary 🐞 Just chattin it up 🌻

Since I'm all cooped up inside with the sickness (I am okay! I am fully vaccinated so if this is the Delta Variant it feels just like a cold), I thought I would take this time to have a short catch-up.

Life has felt a little dreamy lately with fun nights, early morning sunrises after the gym, hot summer day walks, plenty of fungi, and actually FINISHING long-term projects (soon!) and for some reason...a lot getting very into youtubers. I will cover that in a bit. In the meantime here are the songs I have had on repeat the last couple weeks. This is our official sweaty boy summer playlist here in the treehouse:

Life has been looking like this:

I have not been taking many pictures lately. It's a practice I'm trying out to see how it feels. I think it's helping me to savor the memories more--I know that I won't have a visual to fall back on later so I find myself actively absorbing the moment even more. Occasionally I will try to write everything down from memory in order, or draw a scene that stuck with me.

I do find myself regretting now having certain memories in visual form though, and I'm glad that I snapped some while my pal Dalton (@daltondoodles ....yall know him) was visiting and we had our first real-life meeting after 4 years or so of digital friendship! 

Asheville is a place I have been traveling to a lot lately. I head up there whenever I can now, it seems. I have a few friends who all share a place and live there now so I can stay with them, and one night will occasionally turn into two. I love exploring the downtown, the galleries, and randomly picking restaurants and bars that end up being some of my favorite places. This past weekend my friends took me to a silent disco, which I had never heard of. Have you? It's where everyone is given headphones playing the same music and you dance together but the music doesn't play out loud. It would have SLAPPED if the music was better hahaha. I don't think I have felt so alive in a while as I do when having fun in Asheville. Plus the drive there from Greenville is just pure mountain goodness.

While working at home I have been watching a lot of youtube lately. More than usual. I've just sort of locked onto it as a platform I guess? It's been a lot of video essays by Sarah Z, Izzzyzzz, as well as commentary channels like Kurtis Conner, Danny Gonzales, Drew Gooden and (yall already know if you know me) Cody Ko and Noel Miller. 

My favorite ASMR lately has been from Jocie B ASMR who I have developed a big fat crush on (I really should stop falling in love with ASMRists).

I have also gotten back to climbing regularly thanks to the climbing gym opening, and the gym captured a picture of me working on the big blue baby head route as pictured above^^^. It feels incredible to be back, and I've met so many interesting new folks because of it. 

Upcoming in August and September...

Finally posting my full work-week youtube video hopefully tomorrow! I have been waiting weeks to film the conclusion/outro and what a better time than while I am sick and sound like death!

Practicing tattooing on fake skin and fruit seeing as I have my machine and all supplies now!! I am nervous and excited.

Finishing up books Mushroom Rain and Brothers In Arms, continuing chugging along on Twelfth Grade Night ( I am way way behind oh no ), and finishing up a book cover for a middle-grade novel which I think you'll really enjoy!

A little catch up podcast later this month all about the books I am working on and what I have learned so far with books, freelancing and life as a full-time artist. I am looking forward to this chat big time.

And MOVING! Yes, I will be moving 15 minutes out of downtown Greenville into a one bedroom apartment which is quite the upgrade from my current ~studio apartment~ situation, and I can't wait to share the moving process with you.

That's all for today's little diary/check-in. I'm still feeling a little sickish and it's nearing my sleep time now, so I'll talk to you soon when I'm a bit more rested. Thanks for all your love and support as always! Stay very very sexy.

-JG