2024 Feels Like An Illusion

Is it just me, or has this year felt like it isn't real?

I don't mean this in like a Matrix sort of way... Or maybe it is? I dunno. But thinking about it, the spring semester started four weeks ago, and I already can't tell how long it's been since we've started. How far along are we? Is it week 1 or week 10? I'm either going insane, which is entirely possible, or I'm not the only one stuck in the 2024 Matrix.

Anyway, it's already February, which is insane. In less than a month, I'll be tabling at my first convention, which also happens to be the first ever convention in Urbana-Champaign!! So excited! If you want to come, I think you can still register at UI-con.org and it is completely free to go! You just need a badge. There will be cosplay events, guest speakers, panels, an artist alley, vendors, all sorts of stuff. And it's been organized almost entirely by students! The future of conventions is looking bright.

We started off the semester with super icky weather, and someone sent me this meme and I found it hit way too close to home. It's been so cold, and then suddenly it got warm again. My body can't handle this bipolar weather, I ended up getting sick and I've been sick for almost three weeks. This definitely hasn't been helping with publishing Unseen: Encounter.

I've been super into Kpop for a while now, but over winter break it got really bad and it hasn't been getting better. I now have a wall full of pretty men in my dorm. Good thing I'm single, because it would be really awkward taking a date into my room and having to explain my obsession with Asian men.

I've also been making a lot of art collages with some of the stuff I've gotten. Scrapbooking is a craft I picked up over break, and especially with the stuff I get in albums, it's super fun to take stuff apart and put it back together. Here's two collages I made with content from the Stray Kids Rock Star albums and TXT's Thursday's Child album.

I also tried my hand at carving by carving a mickey mouse out of a cheap, ancient eraser I discovered. For a first try, i would argue it's not too bad.

I've particularly fallen in love with the group ATEEZ because their lore and worldbuiling is actually insane. I put together an entire youtube playlist of their music videos and other video content in order because it's actually so good. There are also websites like atiny.net and ateezstoryline.com which have the diary entries from the albums that you can read,

and the Ateez Storyline site is a blog by an Atiny who goes super in-depth analyzing the lore and stuff, like they reference science and mythology and all of that, they put so much work into their stuff so if you're interested in the lore, check out that site for sure.

I also gave myself henna tattoos because I was feeling very inspired, haha.

Lastly, I was going to get my passport renewed when these jerks appeared and blocked the road, they started flapping their wings at people who tried to get around them. I think there was a dead burger in the middle of the road and they were gatekeeping it. Rude, I would've loved some burger.

Thankfully there was no one behind me for a while so I just sat there waiting for the geese to move. I tried honking at them, but I guess they're CIA agents or something because nothing could scare them. It was wild.

Alrighty, that's all the updates I've got for now. I'm working as hard as I can on Unseen: Encounter amidst all that life has to throw at me, and despite my brains dripping out of my nose because of this cold, I'm SO CLOSE to being done and ready to begin the printing process!! As a treat, I'll give you all a sneak peek at one of my favorite panels in the story.

I might make this into a sticker at some point, it's so goofy. I love these two knuckleheads with all my heart <3

Hope to see you all soon! And remember, the Earth without Art is just Eh.

Rachel | Debby