... Back Now. Mostly. Also, Birthday Stuff.

Soooo... there wasn't a blog post of any kind last week at all. I didn't plan it that way. I was hoping to get everything sorted on Monday following CanCon. But, rather predictably, I'm afraid, I was so drained from a whole weekend of peopling (even though I shut down Sunday and spent the majority of the day reading), that I literally spent all of Monday asleep. Or most of it. I did wake to feed the cat and myself.

So I didn't manage to write anything for here (though I did write a report for Black Gate Magazine) at all. I figured that it would be alright. I would write it all Wednesday.

That didn't happen because... well... the election results.

While I wasn't surprised, it still sat incredibly heavily on my shoulders, and I have been incapable of functioning like an actual human for most of last week. I won't go too into it here, as most of you ought to know my political leanings.

For those who don't - 

Transwomen are women. Transmen are men. Trans rights are human rights.
Black lives matter.
Indigenous lives matter.
Israel is an apartheid state and currently committing genocide.
Feminist rage is real, justified, and I have it.

If you cannot handle any of the above, feel free to move on from me and my art. Okay, now we've got that clear, let's move on, shall we?

Anyway, the results of the US election made me so utterly depressed with the world that I was unable to function. I gave myself the week off in order to get my shit together. Have I? Not entirely, but I'm a little less ready to strike a match and burn it all down now (but I'm never really all that far away from it, to be honest). So I can at least try and function like a normal human being.

Thus, this blog post, which is really just a post to apologise for my silence last week. And to talk about my birthday.

It's my birthday this week. In general, I don't really celebrate. Other than a quiet dinner with family, I don't like to made a big deal of the day. I hate being the focus of attention, so I would like to avoid it as much as possible (boy did I choose a weird vocation, since that's the case). I also don't really want to receive any gifts. I don't need things.

I do know, however, that people often enjoy giving something and trying to make people feel special, and I want to make room for that. So, I'm extending my birthday to the rest of this month. This month, if you feel you want to get me a gift, I would ask instead that you donate to charity. You can do it in my name if you want, but even if you don't I will be thrilled to hear about it.

There are three in particular that I would love it if you could help out on my behalf:

• Unicef Gaza Humanitarian Appeal (help me help children in Palestine)
• The Trevor Project (help me help LGBTQA+ kids)
• Trees for Life (help me rewild Scotland)

Of course, you needn't do any of it, but if you're in the mood for getting me a gift, I would much rather you help me make the world less... like it is right now.

Alright, I have to go now and do work for which I'm paid. I hope you're all well, and I'll see you soon!

Slán go foill!