As time goes on

On By The JinxIn lifeLeave a comment

I like the celebration of the new year because, ultimately, it’s about optimism for the future. That said, this year has already not started out particularly encouraging for me, so here’s a summary of my 2025 in a few key numbers:

  • Years married: 20
  • Medical specialist tests that found nothing wrong: 8
  • Five-star entries in my twice-daily mood tracker: 44
  • Nights with insomnia and/or bad sleep: 82

Now, on to my usual recap.

Reading

Did I meet my goal of reading thirty books in 2025?

Er… yeah, I managed it.

Generated graphic from Goodreads with stylized stars and a book on a yellow background; text reads: 2025 Year in Books; 24,237 pages read, 103 books read; with my name and profile picture

As stated in my post this summer, this isn’t usual for me.

Bar graph showing number of books read per year starting in 2008; 2025 is far and away the highest, with just over twice as many books as the previous highest year

Not that I’m complaining—pleased, rather—just baffled. Though I think a fair bit of this reading was done at the expense of other hobbies.

Top book: Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko.

Goal for 2026: I’m still not out to prove anything, but raising my goal to fifty books this year seems pretty reasonable.

Video games

As that reading progress might suggest, I didn’t spend a lot of time with video games this year (aside from the stupid mobile game I don’t count). In fact, I only played four games in 2025: Xenoblade Chronicles, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, and a new game + of Visions of Mana which I dropped off in November.

So, ultimately, I only checked one game off my backlog, but that amounts to a full third of the games I completed this year. So, progress?

Top game: Echoes of Wisdom.

Goal for 2026: Don’t think I’m really interested in making goals for gaming this year. They always seem to take longer than I expect. Though perhaps one game from my backlog per new or diversion game would be a good idea to actually try to get through said backlog.

Art

I also had no goals last year for art, aside from just having fun with it, and I did that. I completed twenty new drawings, ranging from full illustrations to <1-hour cartoons, and put a number of additional hours into a couple pieces that are really far too close to leave unfinished. October’s prompt lists provided a great exercise in just get it done. I should really carry that motivation forward into this year.

Top art: Tough call. I really enjoyed “Aurora”, and even sold it to a magazine, though I did laze out on the background. In terms of effort put in, I’m quite pleased with “Season’s Readings”, though there are flaws in the underlying drawing that I would correct were I to draw it today. (Also, most of the work on that piece was done in 2024, anyway.) “Undine” is one of my most polished pictures of the year, in terms of my skill level.

But, honestly, I think my best work last year, both as a personal favourite and in terms of what I can accomplish, is the secret Santa art I made for an online community just a few weeks ago.

Digital illustration of video game characters sitting around a fire with cats

Goal for 2026: I have a lot of WIPs, some going back fifteen years or more, that I still want to finish. So, in addition to continuing to have fun with art, I want to finish five of them.

Writing

Well, I more than tripled the number of days I spent writing compared to 2024. That equates to… fifteen. So, I don’t think I met my goal to ‘just write’.

That said, I did focus a bit more on trying to sell short stories, sending out thirty-some submissions. I did, at last, have once acceptance, which I hope to share more details about soon.

I also decided to switch gears from the novel I had been trying to write, and managed to progress for four days in a row in November before my priorities shifted and momentum dropped off. I only have about 3,000 words so far in that project, but I think it’s promising and would like to continue working on it.

Top writing: Not enough to choose from, I’d say.

Goal for 2026: Clearly, I need to set some firmer expectations to get some momentum going. I can’t guarantee that writing every day is feasible, however, and I am also hesitant to push myself into immediately trying to resume a ‘normal’ writing output. Therefore, I will give myself a goal of writing 1,000 words per week.

Music

Given increasing personal expenses as well as my ongoing inability to keep up with vetting the new music I acquire, I neglected to expand my collection for a few of the last Bandcamp Fridays (when I purchase most of my music). Still, between Bandcamp and iTunes, I bought 29 new albums in 2025. I could probably go through and find out how many albums or singles I also downloaded for free, but I doubt anyone is that interested in that.

As for playing music? Well, I let that fall by the wayside. I managed to record one short performance for my favourite game music competition in the summer, noodled on the piano a couple times, and shamefully dropped the ball on a few collaboration attempts.

Top music: Like trying to choose a favourite book, but you know what was a fantastic album? Out of Hibernation by angrypolarbear.

Goal for 2026: I don’t need to make goals for buying or listening to music, but playing? I’d like to get back into it, and perhaps specific goals would be better for my productivity. I should be able to manage an hour of instrument practice per week.

Life

In last year’s new year post, I added a few personal goals for the year. Was I successful?

  • Focus on positives: Hard to say. Overall, I have been trying to, though I’ve noticed that my mood tends to tank when I get tired (so guilt-free naps have been a crucial element of my self-care).
  • Don’t let negative feelings control me: Again, I’ve been trying. This may have played a part in the amount of reading I did last year.
  • Forgive myself: I think so. Guilt, mainly about not doing more, will probably be a permanent fixture of my life, but I’ve simply had to give myself leeway.
  • Drive less: I’d like to say so. Perhaps less so in the last couple months, but when I’m able, I’ve been trying to walk or bike (or, rarely, bus) for errands.
  • Listen to more music: This one I’d say was a success. I’ve been less precious about needing to hear/pay attention to every song I play or needing to hear it through a good sound system. I logged a surprising amount of time into Nintendo Music (245 hours?!) and I spend a decent chunk of my day switching back and forth between computer speakers and Bluetooth speakers in the kitchen and living room.
  • Wear more jewellery: To clarify, by this I meant to wear jewellery more often. And while I still haven’t done so as much as perhaps I’d like, I do believe I managed to increase it in 2025. Particularly since I got a proper jewellery cabinet for my (late in the year) birthday.
  • Accept that everything I wear will get sweaty: Still kind of hate this, but it’s me.

I also managed to improve some other areas of my life, such as making a standing desk for work, walking more regularly, and drinking more water. (Not that I wasn’t drinking enough before, but now I’m drinking a lot, and it seems to be helping some things? I’ll take it.)

Top accomplishment: Reaching my 20th wedding anniversary was pretty cool. Also, I’ve been quite happy to have finally dropped my Adobe subscription.

Goal for 2026: Continue with the progress I’ve made in the above, stop overthinking things, walk every day.

New art: Christmas gifts

On By The JinxIn art, gamesLeave a comment
Digital illustration of three girls posing with virtual singer Hatsune Miku in front of a backdrop of fireworks
Digital illustration of video game characters sitting on fancy couches by a fireplace and holding cats

Both done in Clip Studio Paint, completed 11 December and 22 December, respectively. Hatsune Miku belongs to Crypton Future Media, Vivi, Sora, and Magus (and Meow Wow) belong to Square-Enix, and Link belongs to Nintendo. With thanks to the banner artist for Yoko Shimomura month for Dwelling of Duels and the official artists for Spyro the Dragon and Kingdom Hearts.

And for the curious, I shared a timelapse of the creation of the second image on Bluesky.

October art

On By The JinxIn art, gamesLeave a comment

I don’t usually participate in art challenges, but two of my friends each made a prompt list for October. Both had some pretty interesting suggestions.

While I wanted to participate more than I ultimately did, I didn’t put any pressure on myself to draw all of these prompts, and allowed myself to stop working on some drawings even when I might have enjoyed taking longer and refining them more.

In the end, I finished eight drawings and put over eighteen hours into that art last month, along with a handful of incomplete sketches I wouldn’t mind finishing later. Time constraints may have made some things more challenging, but it was also refreshing to be given a limited amount of time for each piece and being able to call it done and walk away.

Now maybe I should join a challenge to finish some of many incomplete projects.

All art done in Clip Studio Paint. It had been a long time since I did pixel art.

Image by Hermann Kollinger from Pixabay

Favourite reads of 2025, part 1

On By The JinxIn books, life1 Comment

So, I’ve been reading a bit more this year.

Screenshot reading: Challenge details, 2025; Reading Challenge; Congrats! You've reached your goal. 60 of 30 books read, 164 days left

I honestly don’t know what’s happened. Granted, half of those books are graphic novels, which are much quicker to get through. But that still puts me only two books short of my reading goal for the entire year. This isn’t exactly precedented for me, either.

Bar graph showing number of books read per year from 2008-2025; this year is the highest by ten books already

I’m going to blame the health issues.

Anyway, given the number of books I’ve read in the first half of this year, I thought it might help me to sort through my recollections of them to highlight my top reads so far. I’ll start with the graphic novels, which I’ve been delving fervently into this year. Particularly, I’ve discovered books through my library’s ebook app, which has a fantastic selection of indie and smaller press titles (non DC and Marvel, anyway, although I’ve enjoyed some of those this year as well). Essentially exactly what I’ve been searching for with graphic novels, and I’ve been very pleased with them so far.

Black Cloak by Kelly Thompson and Meredith McClaren

Between The Cull, which I read at the end of 2024, and this, Kelly Thompson is rapidly becoming one of my favourite graphic novel authors. Wonderfully realized fantasy world, interesting and very down-to-earth characters, a tense story with great twists and turns, and overall an excellently portrayed graphic story. And, of course, the art is lovely. This collection is a complete standalone story, but I’m pleased to see that there is another volume coming.

Skyward by Joe Henderson, Lee Garbett et al

A bizarre concept again brought beautifully to life by a deft writer and skilled art team. It’s a story of Earth in which gravity suddenly and inexplicably dropped to a fraction of a G when the main character was a baby, and people have simply had to adapt. A more traditional comic art style with very fun and refreshingly diverse characters, conspiracy, terror, and beauty. This story is now complete in three instalments, but the writer mentioned at the end that there are future stories percolating.

Wynd by James Tynion IV and Michael Dialynas

This one didn’t sink its hooks in quite as firmly as the others, but it was definitely compelling enough to read all three current volumes, and get me excited that the final one is already half released. It’s a rather typical story, and the title character is the least interesting of the cast, but it is cute and rather on the nose, and keeps the tension high throughout. The art, however, is stunning. It’s a more cartoony style, very expressive of course, but the inking, lighting, and texturing are amazing. I cannot get enough of it. I’m still debating whether I should seek out the individual issues of the final volume or wait to buy it when it’s collected.

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

Of the non-graphic books I’ve read this year, this is my favourite. Jordan Ifueko has been on my radar since I read Cool. Awkward. Black. last year, and I ended up placing a hold on this book after reading her run of Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. While the different countries in the empire of Aritsar are a little too obvious homages to specific peoples on Earth, I loved the Afro-centric nature of this world, and especially that there are multiple Black societies of equal complexity and power. It was a refreshingly different and yet perfectly normal fantasy world, well developed in an excellent story with a flawed but very relatable and honest star who is caught in a very difficult place. The second part of the duology was also good, but this was an extremely strong debut and an immediate five-star read for me. And I’m so happy to see more Black creators and diverse stories. (And how gorgeous is that cover art?)

Survival by Julie E. Czerneda

It was more a coincidence of circumstance that got me to start this book, which I’d picked up as an ebook only a year or two ago, but I immediately devoured the entire Species Imperative trilogy. Even though this first book released over twenty years ago, the first thing that grabbed me was the delightfully normal science fiction-ness of it: all the little bits of everyday advanced technology that make a complete picture of this future version of Earth. The three books all follow the same general plotline, but they each make a fascinating and fun tale that all contribute to a compelling complete narrative, although I wouldn’t recommend waiting long between reading each book, as they do build off each other quite closely. Some great alien concepts, surprises, and charming character interactions.

Trafficking in Magic, Magicking in Traffic edited by David Sklar and Sarah Avery

This is one of several anthologies I picked up at NASFiC last year, from the publisher’s table in the dealers’ room. I love a good blending of reality/the mundane with fantasy, so despite the somewhat busy cover design, this book seemed right up my alley. And indeed, it delivers exactly what it advertises: half the book is centred on stories about illegal transport of magic and/or magic goods, and the second half on stories about magic involved with travel/transit, each half broken down into sections grouping stories together along similar sub-themes. As an anthology, this is fantastic. The story selection and arrangement are top-notch, giving a wonderful variety of tales within the somewhat rigid theme presented, and each story is solid and entertaining. It’s definitely enough to make me curious about other Fantastic Books anthologies.

Whew. While I haven’t read many books this year that I’d give a full five stars to, I have read a lot that I’ve enjoyed thoroughly and would be glad for more. Had I not spent so much time writing this post already, I might also add some honourable mentions that I feel a little guilty for not including. But then, for those who might be interested, you can always look at my reading log on Goodreads.

Music Monday: The Return

On By The JinxIn musicLeave a comment

I started this feature several years ago to highlight some of the (largely obscure) music I love, posted a handful of times, and then, in my typical fashion, let it drop off. But, perhaps because of new inspiration, I’ve decided to restart it (though I make no guarantees about regularity).

Music has always been serious business for me. My collection is carefully curated and meticulously organized, with nothing being added until it has been thoroughly vetted.

However, that takes a lot of time, particularly since thorough vetting, for me, means listening to new music (preferably multiple times) while basically doing nothing else. I’m not really taking in the music if I’m writing, reading, chatting, or even working on art. As a result, my new music tends to pile up until I have dozens, if not hundreds, of hours of new songs to go through. This is especially true following any given Bandcamp Friday (when I’m likelier to be freer with my money, as Bandcamp waives its own fees and all proceeds go to the creators).

For this week’s post, since I’ve spent a fair bit of time this month vetting my latest batch of new(ly acquired) music, I figured I’d highlight some of the albums I’ve been going through.

Austin Wintory – ABZÛ

I’ve known of ABZÛ for years, and the game itself is in my backlog, though while I’ve bought a few other of the composer’s albums, I didn’t get around to this one until a recent sale on his Bandcamp. And the hype was right. At once atmospheric, stirring, and melodic, this gorgeous orchestral soundtrack makes perfect background or meditation music.

The album is also available on Apple Music (and you can probably also search it up on Spotify, but seriously, don’t use Spotify. It’s terrible for musicians).

Pokérus Project – Critical Hit

The Chilean vgm musician/rock band’s latest full studio album contains a mixture of mainly classic tunes from games like the original Castlevania, Mario Kart 64, a few Legend of Zelda titles, and Undertale, as well as a charming performance of “Peaches” from the 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie. Features their signature heavy riffs, big backing sound, and instrumentation that provides a fresh take on well-loved tunes, in a range of styles from piano-forward ballads to pounding shredfests, without ever getting particularly heavy.

Aside from Bandcamp, you can find the album on Apple Music, streaming services, and other stores.

Super Guitar Bros – Breath of the Wild

I’ve loved this acoustic/classical guitar duo since I first heard their music over ten years ago. And a Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild album by said duo? Say no more. These selections feature most of the most memorable music from the game, in their usual straight cover style. As usual, the translation to guitar duet does an excellent job of both encompassing the depth and the character of the originals, impressively so in the case of those tracks like “Riding” and “Labyrinth” in which the original was heavily reliant on, if not entirely comprised of, solo piano. A great way to relax with calming tunes, revisit the soundtrack, or both.

Find it also on Apple Music.

The OneUps – Songs for the Recently Deceased

An older album from one of the original vgm live bands, this is a testament to how long it takes me to go through music, as it was recommended to me for last Halloween. (Oops.) I likely passed over this album previously among their discography because I’m not usually as big on horror-type songs. However, while this album highlights plenty of horror-themed sources, the tracks lean more towards the jazzy side of The OneUps’ offerings, with flavours of latin, funk, and lounge as smooth as butter. Of course, both the performance and the production of largely acoustic instruments—including saxophone, solo violin, upright bass, and vibraphone—is top-notch. This is a fantastic jazz album for any collection, and any time of year.

Find it also on Apple Music.

That’s all for this week. Anything you’d like me to highlight next Monday?

New art: Lunar new year

On By The JinxIn artLeave a comment
Digital drawing of an anime-style catgirl in a fancy dress and holding a glass of champagne with fireworks behind her.

A bit late; this was supposed to be a quick piece that I started just before the lunar new year, but though I felt the lineart looked good alone, once I started putting down colour, more and more issues with it bothered me and I spent a long time tweaking it and overall getting frustrated with it. Eventually, I decided to just give up and finish it. There are still things I would change were I to do it over again, but in the end, I’m satisfied with this picture.

Clip Studio Paint, completed 17 February 2025.

Please play again

On By The JinxIn life, writingLeave a comment

When one is a self-published author, it’s easy to forget the struggle most writers have finding publishers for their work. You can read the stats, that only 1% of book submissions get published, that even bestselling authors received dozens of rejections, and one of the books I published with Brain Lag was rejected over 125 times before it came to my desk. But it’s not the same as understanding what receiving that many rejections actually feels like.

Well, for various reasons, I’ve decided to dive into the world of submissions and rejections, with short fiction. I have a few unpublished stories I’ve been shopping around, along with other stories formerly available in any of a handful of websites I used to use that are suitable for reprints.

Nobody likes rejection, of course, especially with something as personal as one’s creative output, which may have lots of untold meaning or suffering behind it. However, I’ve developed a thicker skin for rejections due to some recent(ish) experiences. First, when speaking with someone who was an editor for a major fiction magazine, I was given some eye-opening information: of 100 story submissions that he would receive, he would absolutely love 15-18 of them. The magazine would have room for 3. So, even stories he dearly loved—most of those, in fact—had to be rejected.

The first stories I submitted for publication consideration after learning this were rejected quite late in the selection process, which led me to believe that they may have been the victim of similar circumstances. So, that in mind, I vowed not to be discouraged by rejection of stories I truly believe have merit and have sent out various submissions in the past month.

But, again, it’s one thing to believe in something and another entirely to experience it. Especially when one receives rejections that are not generic “we cannot accept this at this time” or what have you, but instead say something more personal like I’m afraid this didn’t land with us.

And between the submissions I have out already, the waiting period on getting responses, the fact that I only have a handful of unpublished stories to shop out, and general discouragement from the rejections I’ve received already, my idea to start each business day by sending out two new submissions didn’t last very long.

But just because it’s hard doesn’t mean I shouldn’t keep trying. I wouldn’t have written novels if that were the case. And yes, there may be a lot of writers out there striving for the same space that I’m reaching for, but there’s also a lot more venues for submitting one’s work than one might think. As has been said by people who have achieved much more financial success than me, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

You just have to keep shooting.