Tried to adopt kids, and even though it didn't work out, we're in a good position to keep working at it and hopefully make next year the year it happens.
I talked to folks at GaryCon and got a contract gig that I’ve been working at throughout the year! Hoping for things to appear in print soon so I can talk about it more, but it’s been very exciting and validating.
I have managed to get the final (I hope) version of the test pack for the TTRPG I’ve been working on for the past 2.5 years done in time for the holidays
Contributing to Draw Steel was a pretty huge milestone as a game designer, and accessibility consulting for MCDM, Brotherwise, and some secret 2025 things made me feel like I might actually be getting the hang of this freelance thing.
I produced and fulfilled my deck of system-agnostic TTRPG NPCs. Fully written, illustrated, designed by myself, and the campaign & production was also fully on me.
I’m incredibly proud of the result, even if it was exhausting and I made nearly no money out of it. 🥲💙
I made the decision to stop studying and allowed myself to protect my health. Bonus: went to my first con and back without a single meltdown or flare! Recovered my creative inspiration! Goodness, this feels good.
I ran a crowdfunding campaign for a book, published that book, and made the IPR best seller list with that book in the span of about 9 months! It's helping people make games for kids, and I'm very excited and proud of the impact it may be having out there in the world!
Collaborated with one of my favorite people in this space and together we wrote, successfully kickstarted, and distributed a game that I'm so incredibly proud of.
HUNT(er/ed) is easily one of the highlights of my year.
Finally got Quasar and my terrain project to a point where I can see proper hope for it to do well financially some day, oh! and I got interviewed about the stuff I make by a news channel thats really popular in my country!
It is a silly thing we do, but even this encouragement helps move the the needle a little at least. We should all be looking for ways to follow your example in this daily. Thank you for being an example of our best.
I became a dad, which is kust amazing. Professionally, though, my friend and I developed big plans and networked for our podcast, and we are going to be releasing some pretty cool stuff next year!
I've got 21 thousand words of Battletech fan fiction that I haven't thrown away in an imposter-y panic. Most I've ever written as one continuous story ever and I'm trying to remind myself that "good" is subjective and the sheer effort should be a point of pride regardless of that.
Probably my biggest stumbling block. I have things to share, and I want to share all of them with anyone that might get to smile from it. This shit is only in my way at this stage of the game, so I'm trying to drop the habit of thinking I'm not worth putting out there.
10 years of marriage, became Lorekeeper of @uepodca.st , dropped 40lbs to get back into racing shape, became a professional narrator, and kept a tiny human alive!
On my third day of shadowing for my new role (case worker), I called 911 because a guy was ODing and they had me administer chest compressions until the paramedics got there. It was all very surreal
Released two books, started and completed media school, got my partner to use They/Them for me as a starter, started a podcast, and am a Finalist for the IBS Best Documentary award!
I got to meet my best friend of 23-years for the first time.
We met online when I was 17. I got to hug her at 40. I had to travel over 30 hours for the opportunity, so I was tired and probably icky. But it was totally worth it.
It's not quite ready for print yet, but I finally released something on the DMs Guild that qualifies to be printed and I'm almost at the stage of getting the proofs in order to allow it to be printed. My first physical release (except for a poem I wrote when I was like 9)
My regular scheduled expertise and total change of diet in 2024 let me manage a full course of aquatherapy. Added an extra round of exercise every day after insurance denied regular therapy. It's all light work w/disabilities & chronic pain, but I'm healthier, happier and have more stamina.
I can't think of one specifically, but I have been making small changes to my lifestyle and apartment so that I expend fewer spoons and don't overwork myself.
I've fully been taking care of myself! Went on stress leave in August, and have been resting, and doing what I love, and trying to figure out some medical stuff 🥰 haven't had this much time off from anything in forever
It's been ha hard year but I did a lot of things. One that feels pretty consequential beyond me is pulling together the rest of the team who has helped me finish the documentary "Is This A Dad Thing" sharing my process inducing lactation and breastfeeding my child.
Finished writing a publishable draft of Reduce, Reuse, Revolt! and updated it with new content already. That game had been sitting in my WIPs folder for two years, languishing.
I finally returned to full mobility after 3 surgeries in the last two years (the final one this Feb), and for the first time since my son was born I can run again without pain. Not really something I did per day, but it's let me start getting back into better shape!
I've put a lot of work into a long planned passion project. Using my knowledge of Ravenloft over its various iterations & some internet sources, I've added a lot of material, tweaks & expansions to CoS, also converting it to PF2. I've been running it just over a year, and loving every minute of it!
This sounds awesome! As someone who's never played PF but has a lot of experience with DnD and a few of its settings, I feel like this would be a really nice introduction to a new game with a perhaps more familiar feeling to it.
Several members of our Table are big Ravenloft fans, and we've been playing PF2 on & off for several years, so we were looking forward to letting me get creative with it, tuning it to our groups' tastes and playing in the setting with these mechanics.
I've never gotten into a CoS game but I've lived so many vicariously through my friends, and one of my DMs has put a very Ravenloft-esque area into his homebrew that's further cemented my appreciation of that vibe. If you ever share that conversion with the world, in any way, I'd love to see it!
I learned how to use our 3d Printer. Normally my husband's prints things for me but I figured it out and learned a bunch of stuff he didn't know about. I'm now learning how to use Blender so I can make my own printable models.
I just sent a copy of a board game that I love to each of my three siblings' families, even though we have a long-standing "no Christmas gifts policy" and followed it up with a text instructing them that I broke the rules, but they're not to.
I’m not incredibly vocal about many things, as I don’t assign much weight to my opinions on these things.
But I’ve been watching from the periphery since the old place, and in my mind it’s just cemented that you are a valuable part of this community. So you’re doing something right, homie.
Comments
I’m incredibly proud of the result, even if it was exhausting and I made nearly no money out of it. 🥲💙
Please tell me something also :) 🥹
I raised around $250k for charity this year 🎉
HUNT(er/ed) is easily one of the highlights of my year.
1- Watch 52 documentaries
2- Watch 52 new movies
3- Read 26 new books
4- Write 50k on a project
https://xoshdarkheart.itch.io/rainbow-bridge
And a parody of The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down A Mountain
Thise are the ones I'm proud of rather than just "well I did this"
I am so proud of all the work I did to help them feel seen, heard, and valued.
We met online when I was 17. I got to hug her at 40. I had to travel over 30 hours for the opportunity, so I was tired and probably icky. But it was totally worth it.
Also got a job at my dream costume FX company!
https://bsky.app/profile/watermosaic.bsky.social/post/3lcgnfmqsfc2t
What about you?
I’m really proud of the charity work I did this year and leaving a job that was no longer bringing me joy
Love that you've done it!
The fact that I actually released episodes, people watched them and folk have reached out to be guests on future episodes still makes me smile.
But I’ve been watching from the periphery since the old place, and in my mind it’s just cemented that you are a valuable part of this community. So you’re doing something right, homie.