It's time to talk about the future of the Daily Dose of Art.

When I started, the Daily Dose was a tool I used to keep myself motivated, a way to prove that my depressed years hadn't beaten me. It was wonderful project, a great excuse to keep learning to push my skills in new directions, experiment with different workflows, and most importantly, to give myself a lot of practice. It's clear with a simple glance through my gallery that I grew a ton as a result of striving to produce art daily. Some of the art I made found its way to your walls, and some of the stories and poems I've written have found space in your hearts. For all of that, I am extremely satisfied with the Daily Dose of Art.

However, even good things have drawbacks, and by the beginning of this year I was starting to feel trapped by the Daily Dose. The energy I devoted to creating the daily post was unintentionally preventing me from tackling other projects. Every day, I'd fret over how to promote the day's art and get anxious about pouring my heart out for a handful of likes on social media. Sometimes I'd rush designs or poems just to get them out the door for the day. While all of this taught me so much, it was getting to the point where I was compromising my artistic growth just to stay in familiar territory. With the incredibly rare rate that this work would attract a sale, it was clear this was not a sustainable strategy.

So I decided to try an extended break from the Daily Dose. I needed to know what my productivity looked like without that pressure. I've been on this break for about a month, and in that time, I have seen my art career grow in big ways. In the last few weeks alone, I was invited to an art fundraiser, I've been commissioned to design an official festival hoodie (more on that soon!), and I've begun work on my first retail-oriented art and poetry book. I have no lack of projects to devote my artistic efforts too, and no problem finding the motivation to work on them.

I think this means that for now, the Daily Dose is changing. I still want to share art and stories for free with all of you, and I will. But the pacing is going to be different for now. New doses will come when I have the spare time for them, or when I get inspired to create for myself. I'm moving away from the old style of Art On Demand print products, while I put a lot of effort into building that style of store, it simply wasn't making sense to visitors. If you want me to make a custom adaptation of one of my designs, you can always send me an email to ask. I love doing that kind of work, but I can't rely on it.

Please don't take this to mean you'll be hearing less from Complicated Reality. There's a huge project I've been toiling away on that I think will be the next big thing for my art career. It's not quite ready to share with everyone yet, but the second beta test is underway, so expect to learn more soon. Part of that project has included building a proper, full-featured e-commerce shop for the site again, and those with keen eyes have noticed a few changes already related to that. Soon, I should have a much more accessible shop with a collection of the best of my work available for purchase. As we leave the winter months, you'll see me setting up tables at events and art shows throughout the Pacific Northwest.

To the dedicated fans who sought out the Daily Dose every day, I saw you. I cherish you. And I thank you. Your support has kept me going through hard nights, and lifted my spirits on good days. I hope that you keep your favorite designs, poems, and stories with you as we march bravely into a brighter future.