It's so hot out. We're expecting it to break in a few days, but in the meantime it's pretty miserable.
Been keeping on top of a lot of projects, overall things are going well. I feel bad that I haven't been doing much game development, but I only have so much time in the day.
One big thing I've been focusing on the past two years is paying off my mortgage. I still have a ways to go (about 15 months, if my estimates are accurate), but I'm already looking forward to the next goal: Becoming creatively independent.
I love my day job, but I'm really struggling with it lately. I want more time to make things and grow as an artist and I just can't do that when 40+ of my most productive weekly hours are going to someone else.
It's a lofty goal, but attainable I think. Requires a lot of saving up and building a stronger and more reliable base of passive income through music streams, Gumroad, and you lovely folks.
I'm also looking to move at some point. Probably to a place a bit more remote and more in tune with nature. My wife and I went on a brief vacation recently and it was so nice to sit by the lake, listen to nature, and just recharge. I want more of that in my life too.
Ideally, I am shooting to "retire" by the time I turn 45, which is around mid 2026. A ways to go, but I think once I set my mind to it, things will start to line up.
Had a great chat with a buddy of mine a few days ago about growing as a musician through places like Spotify. He told me it's less about playlist placement (which has value, just not as much as people think) and more about getting recognized through collaborative projects. This really resonated with me and I have plans for a few projects that hopefully I can talk about in the future.
Always want to keep looking ahead. I'm bummed that I haven't done as much game development lately (though the OST Jam is coming up fast!), but I'm also really proud of all that I've accomplished. Super looking forward to the world checking out the Hey EP in a month.
Off to donate, much love! 🥰
-ben