FEAR DIDN'T STOP ME FROM STARTING... ...AND IT WON'T KEEP ME FROM STOPPING. I'LL SEE YOU LATER!

HIATUS: Chats with the Void will be going on break to allow me to recharge and focus on other creative endeavors!

THE WORLD IS CHANGING.. ..AND SO AM I. BUT IT'S CHANGING FASTER... AS I'M LEFT BEHIND.

I was built for a world that no longer exists.

DON'T WORRY, I'M ALWAYS READY FOR THE WORST. I'VE GOT A TECHNIQUE! ОН? WHAT'S YOUR TRICK? I DWELL ON WORST CASE SCENARIOS IN MY HEAD ALL THE TIME, SO I'M READY FOR THEM IF THEY HAPPEN. IT DULLS YOU TO IT. FUNNY HOW BY DOING THAT, YOU'RE ALSO PROMISING THAT WORST CASE SCENARIO ALWAYS HAPPENS, EVEN IF JUST MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY. …

I’m a self-fulfilling prophet.

This body is mine but I Am Not My Body

This body is mine…

There is hatred all around me. But i wont let it win. I can fight for what I love, more than against what I hate.

May the right fire burn within me.

Sorry Ive been REALLY SLOW about uploading the 50+ backlog of these, even with regular reminders on my phone…

Honestly the alt text is my biggest hurdle... Trying to be better!

HEY UH... DO I HAVE FREE WILL? IS FREE WILL EVEN REAL? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? IF THE UNIVERSE RUNS ON SET LAWS, WITH ENOUGH COMPUTATIONAL POWER, IT COULD ALL BE PREDICTED... ACTIONS, THOUGHTS, ALL OF IT COULD BE ANTICIPATED! SO CAN I EVEN HAVE A CHOICE IN MY ACTIONS? MAN, WHAT DOES “FREE WILL" EVEN MEAN? WHAT DEFINES “FREE" OR "WILL"? WHAT'S A "CHOICE"? I THINK YOU'RE REALLY JUST GETTING TANGLED WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF WORDS. I GOT A BETTER QUESTION: WOULD THE ANSWER CHANGE YOUR LIFE IN ANY WAY? PROBABLY NOT... BUT IT'S KINDA FUN TO FREAK OUT ABOUT IT.

Exercising my free will to give myself anxiety.

You’d think, with how life ends in death, we’d all figure out that true value and purpose doesn’t exist in the end result. It’s in the experience we take to get there.

The end isn’t the part that matters most.

Life has been bad lately… Eh life is what you make of it, really. Well, then i guess i’m… MAKING IT BAD!

Number one causer of my problems, reporting for duty 🫡

“You know the saying: ‘If you dont have anything nice to say, dont say anything at all?’” “yeah?” [proceeds to sit down aggressively and say nothing.]

…

I GUESS THE FAMILY LEGACY WILL END WITH ME... HOW SAD AND SHORT SIGHTED TO REDUCE YOURSELF AND ANY LEGACY TO GENETICS. THERE ARE FAR GREATER THINGS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR KIN'S FUTURE. YOU CAN HELP BUILD A FOUNDATION... ...WITH CREATIONS AND TEACHINGS THAT WILL RIPPLE ACROSS TIME.

Many ways to pass a torch.

IF SHARING MY CREATIONS DOESN'T MAKE ME HAPPY... WHY DO I FEEL SO COMPELLED TO DO IT? BECAUSE THE MOTIVATION BEHIND THESE ACTS OF SHARING... ...HAS NEVER BEEN FLEETING HAPPINESS. IT'S TO MAKE THE INTERNAL EXTERNAL. TO SEE IF YOUR WORK CAN SURVIVE OUTSIDE YOURSELF. IT'S BIGGER THAN JOY. IT'S COMMUNICATING IN A LANGUAGE OF YOUR OWN MAKING, AND SEEING WHO ELSE CAN CONNECT TO IT. CHATS WITH THE VOID

Happiness is just the byproduct.

“HEY, DO THAT THING THAT MAKES MY HEAD FEEL ALL WEIRD.” “SURE.” “OUT OF THE MILLIONS OF LIVING THINGS THROUGHOUT TIME THAT YOU COULD HAVE BEEN, OUT OF ALL POSSIBILITIES... YOU EXIST HERE AND NOW AS YOU...” “BUT WHAT AND WHO "YOU" ARE COULD ONLY EXIST HERE AND NOW. ANY OTHER TIME OR PLACE, AND YOU WOULD NOT BE YOU.” “NEAT”

When the ego dissolves,
the head feels lighter.

“It was hidden for a reason” “But what if… I look right at it.” “Maybe letting it out…” “… will set me free.”

Digging through it.

“My friends are better than me…” “Then why do you hold yourself to a higher standard than the people around you?” “Wouldn’t that imply that you think you’re better than them?”

No see when THEY do it, its understandable. When *I* do it, it’s a sign of my weakness and that I am unworthy of love.

“This are fine for me right now, but worse is right on the horizon.” “Then you have a choice. Enjoy the good of noe or wallow in the concept of a future ill” “…” “Let’s do both!”

Feeling good, feeling bad.

“I cant keep doing this, but i cant stop either!” “What do i do?!” “Your best.” [disgruntled owl displaying what their best looks like]

But that’s what I’m the worst at.
#webcomic #animalart

SO MANY POSITIVE CHANGES IN MY LIFE LATELY, AND I WANT TO CELEBRATE THEM... BUT IT FEELS WRONG. IT'S WRONG TO CELEBRATE FOR MYSELF WHEN THERE IS SO MUCH SORROW IN OTHER'S LIVES... BUT IT'S WRONG TO MYSELF TO SILENCE HARMLESS JOYS... RIGHT. WRONG. THERE'S MORE THAN TWO SIDES. MORALITY ISN'T BINARY. BESIDES... [insert inane morality rant here] HMM THIS ISNT REALLY THE PEP TALK I WAS EXPECTING

#webcomic #animalart

AT WHAT POINT DOES THIS WHOLE “SELF CARE" THING TURN INTO AVOIDANCE AND ESCAPISM? IF YOU'RE THAT WORRIED ABOUT IT, THEN PUT A BREAK ON YOUR BREAK. BUT WHAT IF I'M WRONG AND I FAIL AGAIN? PUSH YOURSELF TOO MUCH? WELL THEN LOOKS LIKE YOU NEED THAT BREAK! RESTED ENOUGH TO CONTINUE? COOL NOW YOU KNOW THAT LIMIT! YOU SAY THAT LIKE IT'S EASY TO KNOW WHEN TO SWITCH! WELL, PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. START PRACTICING!

#webcomic #selfcare

I CHOOSE TO SEE THE BEAUTY IN LITTLE THINGS. MAYBE NOT CHOOSE BUT... I WANT TO. I'M TRYING TO... SO I PRACTICE. I LOOK FOR IT WHERE EVER I CAN. IT'S WORK. BUT MORE AND MORE OFTEN.. EVERY NOW AND THEN. it gets easier.

🦋🐊

#comic #animalart

“So, how’ve you been doing” “Uh, well I guess Ive…” [images of life, growth and plants] [images of death and bones] “Ive been doing okay”

How I’ve been doing.

#comic #animalart

“How am i supposed to feel joy when the world around me is being destroyed?” 🐿️ “However you can.” 💚

#comic #animalart #joy

MY NORMAL IS FALLING APART BEFORE MY EYES. THESE ARE UNEASY TIMES WE'RE WALKING IN FOR SURE... BUT LET'S BE HONEST WITH OURSELVES: NORMAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FICKLE JERK. IT NEVER STAYS OR LASTS. SO LET'S MAKE THIS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE NEW NORMALS. ONES THAT BETTER SERVE US.

Its okay to be upset with this.
But dont just let it take from you.
Make it give.

#comic #animalart #newnormal

SURE, I'VE LEARNED FROM PAST HEARTBREAKS, BUT I THINK THEY TAUGHT ME BAD LESSONS IN TRUST... THE LINE BETWEEN OVERLY CAUTIOUS AND NAIVELY TRUSTING CAN BE HARD TO SEE... BUT BE CAREFUL WITH LETTING RELATIONSHIPS OF THE PAST CAST SHADOWS ON YOUR FUTURE. TO SEE CLEARLY YOU MEED TO SPEND TIME IN THE PRESENT.

💜

I think its easy to get swept up in the idea that you’ll “fall behind”, and not allow yourself rest. I permanently damaged my drawing hand because i was worried about bills and pushing myself to keep working. Looking back, i could have afforded the setback and saved myself from years of pain...

FINE, SELF CARE IS IMPORTANT. BUT I CAN'T PULL BACK NOW. I'VE WORKED HARDER THAN THIS BEFORE! IF I DIDN'T REST FOR THAT... I CAN'T REST FOR THIS. YOU MISJUDGED YOUR LIMIT ONCE, AND NOW YOU'RE LOCKED INTO REPEATING THAT MISTAKE UNTIL YOU BREAK? IS THAT HOW THIS WORKS NOW? ...DAMN, GO EASY ON ME. HEY, I WILL WHEN YOU WILL.

Just keep swimming.
Just. keep.. swimming…
Just….. keep……….

A NEW CHAPTER IN MY LIFE IS STARTING AND I'M SCARED. BOTH GREAT AND TERRIBLE. I'VE BEEN THROUGH SO MANY ALREADY... BUT IF WE EACH ONLY GET ONE CHANCE AT EXPERIENCING LIFE... ARN'T YOU REALLY QUITE LUCKY WITH JUST HOW MANY DIFFERENT SLICES OF EXISTENCE YOU'VE GOTTEN TO TASTE?

Slices of life.

#webcomic #comic #moth

IF I'M REALLY DOING SO MUCH BETTER NOW.. ...THEN WHY DOES THIS SADNESS TASTE SO FAMILIAR. BECAUSE "BETTER" ISN'T SOMETHING YOU JUST UNLOCK FOR YOUR LIFE ONE DAY. IT'S WORK. "BETTER" IS BUILT FROM ACTIVE CHOICES AND HABITS. YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN "BETTER"

Regularly scheduled maintenance.

#comic #webcomic #opossum

IF I GAZE INTO THE ABYSS, THE ABYSS WILL GAZE BACK INTO ME... BUT THE ABYSS IS NOTHINGNESS. A VOID CAN ONLY HAVE WHAT YOU BRING INTO IT. SO I ASK YOU. WHAT DO YOU BRING?

What do you bring?

#webcomic #titaalik #void #abyss

IF I GAZE INTO THE ABYSS, THE ABYSS WILL GAZE BACK INTO ME... BUT THE ABYSS IS NOTHINGNESS. A VOID CAN ONLY HAVE WHAT YOU BRING INTO IT. SO I ASK YOU. WHAT DO YOU BRING?

What do you bring?

#webcomic #titaalik #void #abyss