…I’m Asking for Help

I know I said I would be ok. That I didn’t need anything. That if you had the energy and funds to spare, share that with other artists in need. (Which, if you have helped other artists, thank you.) But now, I’m asking for help.

scarlet the black long haired cat

This is Scarlet. She and Bree-Bree are keeping me company during this weird time we’re all in. Both of the girls will be 14 years old on May 16. Which is impressive for cats!

Scarlet is a fussy princess. She knows she’s pretty. She’s VERY mouthy. You can have full conversations with this cat. She’s appeared quite a few times in livestreams over the past month, because she wants people to give her attention…on her terms.

scarlet the black long haired cat looking at the camera

I am her human. She doesn’t really tolerate much of anybody else. She will sniff you, and she will meow at you. But you pet her on HER time. When she does want love, though, she can be incredibly sweet.

Sadly, she’s been losing weight and vomiting. I took her to the vet this past Tuesday for a physical, and the vet said there’s muscle deterioration around her hips. The vet was unable to get a blood sample, so they told me to bring Scarlet back in for a round of testing today. They think there may be some hyperthyroid issues.

Now, financially, I prepared for a lot of things… but I did not prepare for vet bills like I should have. That’s on me. Moving forward I will do better.

But right now, IF YOU CAN, I’m asking for your help. I have half of the costs covered, but if you can help with the other half, that would be HUGE.

For the next two weeks, I’m running a sale on commissions if you are so interested. I’m offering these discounted rates if you’d like to jump in on this sale:

  • $15 $10 Head and shoulders in black and white
  • $30 $25 Full-body black and white
  • $40 $30 head and shoulders in color
  • $65 $60 full-color full-body

These prices are PER character (or person, or animal if you wanted a pet portrait). More info on the Get a Commission page if you’d like to get a commission.

If this is a bit much, I have an online store with comics, buttons, stickers, and original art.

Need something more unique? Well, you can also support me on Ko-Fi if you would like…

  • $5 for a social media icon
  • $3 for a blog post tacking a question you have for me
  • $3 for a poem
  • $10 for a short story of 1500 words or less

Or you can just give a donation through Ko-Fi with no strings attached.

I accept PayPal (just specify that it’s a gift to friends to avoid extra charges). And I also accept Venmo ($KelciDCrawford) and the Cash App.

IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY, DO NOT BUY.

I don’t want you stressing out just because I planned poorly. Just share this post with folks whom you think could help. Shares help a LOT.

That’s all for now. Thank you for your help, however you give it.

You. Are. Awesome.

More Blog Posts Incoming

image of a desk covered in papers, pens and pencils, an x-acto knife, a sketchbook, and a mug full of tea

Yus, there are more blog posts coming to the site during the month of April.

Why? Because I have a lot to write about, surprisingly.

There’s a handful of blog posts series coming this month, including:

  • Adventures in Moving: updates on my moving situation, as I’m looking to move house this summer.
  • Writing for Comics 101: pro-tips on how aspiring comics makers can write better comics.
  • Freelance Lifestyle: how to live well on a budget, land and fulfill gigs, and maximize your energy and focus.

I’ll also be continuing my Throwback Thursday art posts on (you guessed it) Thursdays. I like this trend and I’m going to maintain it.

Adventures in Moving will start updating on Tuesdays.

Freelance Lifestyle will update on Wednesdays and will run for 4 weeks.

Writing for Comics 101 will updates on Fridays, starting on April 17, and will run for 4 weeks.

The short-run blog post series might continue if there’s enough demand for them. For now, we’re starting with this.

If there’s a topic on any of these posts that you would like me to cover, let me know in the comments!

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

HerdCon Got Cancelled – Here’s What’s Next

herdcon 2020 has been cancelled. Here's what's next...

HerdCon 2020 has been cancelled, in large part because of the Coronavirus situation.

Now, DO NOT lash out at the organizers. Please. They made the best decision they could with the pressure they had and the information available to them. I trust their judgement. And I trust them when they come back next year. They have plans to run HerdCon 2021 and I hope to make it.

Before I continue, please: take care of yourselves. Especially if you have autoimmune issues.

Ok, now let’s get into it:

What’s Next?

Well now, my Friday and Saturday are wide open. So I’m taking Friday to catch up on KickStarter rewards.

On Saturday, I plan on running a livestream.

I’ll be livedrawing some Dungeons & Dragons characters I run! And if I draw other things, that works too. You’ll get to see it.

The livestream will be on Saturday, March 14, at 1 pm EST. Here’s the link. If you’re in YouTube, be sure to hit the notification bell to know when it’s live.

Hope to see you there.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for your understanding.

You. Are. Awesome.

Introducing: The Freelance Lifestyle Blog Series!

My previous post, where I talk about preparing for freelancing full-time again, was a bigger hit than I expected it to be. So I’m beginning a new blog post series: all about the freelance lifestyle!

What will make this series stand out from other freelance sites or blog posts out there are these big things:

  1. I’ll talk about living well on a budget. Of course I’m going to talk about how to make a budget in the first place. And I’ll also be sharing how to maximize your earned dollars and live well on less.
  2. I’ll share how I land, fulfill, and complete gigs. A lot of posts on the internet are about how to find work. Few of them are about actually doing the work and making your clients happy with your work. So I hope to share my secrets on how I keep my clients happy and coming back over and over again.
  3. I’ll share how to maximize your energy and focus, to know what things are worth your time and energy, and what things are better off left to someone else to worry about. No, I’m talking about hiring outside help – I’m talking about knowing which outlets (social media or otherwise) are worth pursuing.

If there’s anything else about the Freelance Lifestyle you’d like me to talk about, leave a comment below!

If you would like to help contribute to this series, consider giving a dollar on Ko-Fi. It’s a digital tip jar where you can give just once (and it takes a smaller cut than PayPal).

Stay tuned for new updates in this blog post series!

I’ll also be continuing my Adventures in Moving blog post series. That will update intermittently as things develop further.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

Price Changes for 2020

There are a number of price changes happening this year, from store prices to commissions.

Why? Because I have bills to pay, yo.

Last year, I did ok, but only because I had a part-time hustle at my local gas station. When I move in the spring, I won’t have that side hustle anymore. I need to adjust my prices to help cover that loss now, so I can be sure I can cover bills today AND tomorrow (metaphorically speaking).

What, exactly, is changing, though?

Commissions have gone up, anywhere between $5 to $30 each.

For a full breakdown of what’s gone up, check out my updated commission pricing list on the Get a Commission page.

Minicomics are now $2.

To be more accurate, all of my minicomic prices are going up by $1 each.

Miniprints are now $3.

They used to be $2. But printing miniprints in color ain’t cheap.

Now I have a Ko-Fi

Tired of Patreon plugs? Well Ko-Fi makes a good alternative. Plus, you can give just one time, OR you can give a monthly contribution. You can go as little as $1 (a month, even!), and you can cancel anytime. It’s more flexible than Patreon in that way.

That said, ko-fi is more for commissioning me to make things. If you want to see behind-the-scenes work, Patreon is still the best place to do that.

I appreciate all the support you have given previously. That support has helped to pay the bills. I hope that with your continued support, we can keep making cool comics.

Thank you for your understanding, and all that you do!

You. Are. Awesome.