Happy New Year's Eve, everyone! We've made it through another full year, which means another probably-too-long-but-it's-the-end-of-year-so-I'm-allowed-to-wax-poetic PROGRESS REPORT.
WHAT'S NEW ON PATREON?
And the brief Patreon pause from last month is over! We're back to regularly scheduled billing/Patreon perks in 2024.
WHAT HAVE I BEEN UP TO?
A good amount of relaxing! Above, you can find some photos of me relaxing. Also, I got a hair cut. Now my hair is shorter than it was, but still pretty long by classic-men's-hairstyle standards.
It's been great to recuperate a little, both figuratively and literally, as I got the biggest cold I've had in the past four years right after we came back from our vacation. It's like my body knew it could finally give up on keeping me healthy, so I got to stay mostly prone for a few days while trying to return to fighting shape. That's why the Breakfast Sandwich video ended up taking until the end of December—I didn't really feel like getting it uploaded while lying in bed and sipping bone broth for 12 hours straight.
(Oh, and speaking of the Breakfast Sandwich video, have you watched the video that sweet-perfect-editor Jeremy [that's his official title] made about Smiley, 10 years later? I don't know how he managed to turn Smiley into a thoughtful retrospective on what it means to make things and grow as a creator, but you should watch it. It's great.)
I've also been (semi) successful at staying unplugged! Tried my best to not check my email or socials for a few weeks. But while I've been away, a whole bunch of stuff that I'm involved with has been announced or released! So here are a bunch of links:
- Many of the Dropout shows I'm in just got announced/teased! See if you can spot me in the trailers for Very Important People, Game Changer, and the full 2024 teaser!
- My voice is in an extremely fun animated short called "The Fall," which was recently released as part of the CBC's Canadian Reflections (a showcase of independent Canadian short films). You can watch it on CBC Gem, but you have to make a free CBC account and be in Canada in order to watch it. Or at least your internet browser must say that you're in Canada. I'm sure you can figure out a way to watch it if you're not in Canada, but if you're in Canada, you can just watch it! You should! The animators who worked on it did such an incredible job!
- Did you see hbomberguy's fantastic plagiarism video? It's four very compelling hours, and I show up for a few seconds in the first two minutes because he needed someone to stand in for a person he couldn't find any images of. Always honored to play a terrible human in any hbomberguy video.
- I'm on Tom Scott's Lateral Podcast! You can listen to the full episode (63: Upside-down riches) or see some clips on the YouTube channel.
- I got interviewed for my college alumni magazine, which is how you know I've really made it.
WHAT'S NEXT?
2024 is next! And what a year it will be! I like to say "What a year it will be!" because no matter how 2024 turns out, it certainly will be a year of some sort, and therefore that statement will always be true.
I've been using this Patreon as my main source of income since the beginning of 2021. That's three full years of this Patreon now. Thank you all so much for your continued support, especially as changes in my life and work affect the frequency and format of the videos I create through this Patreon. I say this all the time, but that's only because I cannot stress it enough:
If it weren't for your support, there's no way I would have been able to do a quarter of the things I've done in the past three years, both on Patreon and off. I'm forever grateful.
This past month of pausing the Patreon was a little test. Due to my extra work with Dropout, I was able to afford a month break from Patreon, but allowing myself to take that break was the bigger challenge.
If I could, I would do all of my YouTube Work and all of my Writing Work and all of my Voice Acting Work and all of my Dropout Work and all of my Normal Acting Work and all of my Patreon Work and I would do ALL OF IT and I'd do it ALL THE TIME and I'd NEVER HAVE TO NOT DO ANYTHING. And I'd also have hobbies and exercise and cook and eat well and never get sick and maintain strong relationships with the people I care about in my life.
2023 has been filled with me trying to do that and getting really fed up with myself when it turns out to not be possible.
The one thing I can say about 2024 is that it'll probably bring some larger changes to how and what I'm working on. The more work that Karen and I get as a writing team means less time for me to devote to my YouTube and Patreon. "Which is a good thing!" I tell myself, even while secretly hating the fact that I still haven't figured out a way to do EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME.
I already know that the first part of 2024 will be very busy for Karen and I, as we'll be working on two pitches of our own shows, a pitch of someone else's show that we're helping to develop, and some writing work on an indie video game (all things I can't wait to say more about as soon as I am able). We'd love to keep doing that kind of work in 2024—get a staff writing position, or sell a show, or keep working on fun small projects with cool collaborators.
And I'll still be making my videos, too! When I can, and where I can, and I'll be keeping you all in the loop as it happens. The videos might be a little less frequent, but I'm gonna pour everything I've got into each and every one, and hopefully they come out extra special.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I'm gonna end my progress report here before I get too wistful and nostalgic and weird, which is my favorite way to be on a New Year's Eve. Instead, I'll leave you with this mug that I saw in the V&A Museum in London:
I was going to try to spin it into a well-wishing sentiment, but I don't think I can. In the New Year, may all your pizzas be appropriately sized. Alright that's the best I can do.