And that about wraps it up! There's a lot more I could go on about, but honestly, as much as I enjoy talking to people, I'd consider myself a fairly private person online. To me, one of the coolest things about being an artist was that you get to disappear into the background and let your work stand out instead of yourself. I don't think I was ever ready for the amount of recognition I'd receive for my art, and as grateful as I am for comments letting me know much much it's meant to individuals, I personally prefer to remain relatively unnoticed. I truly love that some people love my work, but always remember, I am not my work, so please don't feel intimidated if we converse, or look up to me too greatly. I always get the impression that people feel as though because of how high the "numbers" are, that a person will be changed by that. I suppose it can be true in many cases, but my life has personally remained relatively unchanged from even when I was a beginner artist. I keep my DMs closed, I don't really engage in the social media game, no sponsor deals or anything of the sort. I suppose I'm not hungry enough for that kind of success, but at the same time, I'm still drawing what I want to see, so I'd consider that success enough for me!

Lastly, I'll say, 2022 was a pretty pivotal year for my life on a personal level. I've made new friends, and cemented friendships with people I've known from years prior. This might seem a bit out of left field, but if you are reading this, please remember to stand up for the people in your life who depend upon you. It's something I always keep in the back of my mind, to believe in my friends and stand with them if they face hardship. While it doesn't directly involve me, I've seen people in my life whom failed to trust the friends they so claimed to admire. Those who would turn a blind eye to unscrupulous people who would seek to harm, either directly or indirectly, people for whom they understand little. I think the me of 2019 would have tried to avoid any great disaster, afraid to "rock the boat", worried I'd come off as rude, even to those who would seek to disrupt or hurt others. Trying to keep everyone's feelings in mind lest I upset anyone. I am no longer a person who is willing to try and placate everyone. I feel, in that regard, I have grown the most as a person. I don't expect anyone to actually still check this dusty blog after such a long hiatus. Perhaps that's why I'm writing all this, because as much as I want to get this out there, the idea that anybody will read it still intimidates me.

This ended up being a longer ramble than I anticipated, but I'm glad I managed to write it down somewhere. I think the me of 2021 would be proud of the 2022 Pas. And hey, to the Pas of 2023 whom I know will be re-reading this post in future, I'm glad you're still here. I hope you keep striving to be a better, kinder, and stronger individual.

As always, thank you for taking the time out of your day to read these ramblings. Stay safe out there, and take care!