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What am I enjoying and looking forward to?

Reminding myself that there is fun in my future despite how chronic fatigue feels.

What am I enjoying and looking forward to?

Little things to be happy with

It’s been sunny for the past two weeks and while I haven’t had the energy to get out there and swim, I have enjoyed sitting in my freshly cleared yard. It was nice, really nice. Life is harder than it’s ever been for me these days, but it will be harder if I sink into depression. I have enjoyed things and I will continue to enjoy things. So what are they?

Enjoying

Swimming

Due to chronic fatigue (ME/CFS), I’ve been resting so I have energy to do commissioned work and prevent Post Exertional Malaise crashes. That’s the priority. Summer is coming so I’ve treated myself to a much needed swim bag and new gloves so I am ready for it. I did my first dip in over a month just the other day and it was lovely. Unfortunately it did result in an unproductive afternoon due to brain fog, and a 2 hour nap.

My website

For years I neglected my website because it has 20 years of content in it. The portfolio side was refreshed in 2023 but the rest was a mess. It’s hard to work with WordPress because any time you search for an answer you find clickbait, not answers. That’s changed with the help of ChatGPT. I know AI is problematic, but it has helped me a lot with my site. It gives me the code I want or a list of plugins without any BS. My site has a nice theme that I’ve made my own, a blog, a photoblog and follows the POSSE methodology of Publish (on your) Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere.

My setup allows me to publish a blog or photoblog post to my site which is then automatically published to all my social networks. If a social network goes bad or a new one comes along with a good API I can hook into it. No matter what happens with social networks I will still have a solid archive of work on my site.

Is all the work I’ve done bringing in print sales and new clients? No. But it is definitely easier posting to one place rather than 6.

Eurovision entry playlist

Eurovision is next month and I’m making my way through the playlist on Apple Music, marking favourites and skipping heartstring-tugging ballads. Why are there so many ballads this year? Who will make it onto my all time Eurovision faves playlist this year?

Two Point Museum

Recently I realised I find it easier to relax with drawing than video games, but my ADHD got curious about the recently released Two Point Museum. Stylistically it harkens back to Theme Hospital on the Amiga blending sillyness with strategy. Visually it looks great and plays fantastic on my computer. As someone who spends a lot of time in museums, it is fun to build my own. There are silly museum announcements, a good soundtrack, nice sound fx and the whole thing is a calming sensory toy.

Daredevil & Andor Rewatch

There are new seasons of Marvel’s Daredevil and Disney’s Andor to watch. It’s been a long time since season 3 of Daredevil, and while the new show is a Marvel, not Netflix production we thought it best to remind ourselves of what has happened. Will Born Again be Daredevil Season 4 or Marvel’s Daredevil Season 1? I don’t know. What I do know is just how good seasons 1 and 3 of the Netflix show were. They were something special. Rewatching in 2025 is interesting. The idea of a blind superhero is more plausible than the legal system working for the people and locking up corrupt and powerful rich white men. Yay, escapism.

Speaking of fighting fascism. Andor season 2 is out soon too, so we’re rewatching Season 1. Also another great show. Both Daredevil and Andor succeed because they are very grounded in reality, with very real characters. You can almost link one of Matt’s speeches in Daredevil about becoming the thing you’re fighting against to the one by Luthen in Andor on a similar topic. Solid TV.

Home

I rejigged the office layout and I think it works better. Good to have a clean out now and then to make the space feel like somewhere you want to spend time. Of which, we cleared the yard out and got it ready for BBQ season. Is our house perfect, no but it’s better than it was a week ago and that helps me feel better. Small wins.

Looking forward

TV

New seasons of things I like. Yay! I have not watched the trailers for any of these because of spoilers.

Opening this summer at the Lady Lever Art Gallery is a new exhibition by artist Jim Moir, who you may know as Vic Reeves. It will be from 14 Jun 2025 to 2 Nov 2025. His work is an inspiration to me as a basic artist. He plays with art with a delightful freedom that I aspire to. Will something work? Who knows, try and see. We should all be free to play. It’s slowly taken from us as we become adults. Take it back. Be silly, be playful.

Oh, and I got to meet him and do the promotional portraits for the gallery.

Travels

We’ve got a few days down south planned to chill with family coming up soon. In summer we’ll be off to Barmouth for a bit to hopefully wander around Wales and explore. Later in the year... maybe Venice for a few days.

Pride

Summer will be filled with Pride events. Hopefully, I can attend the same ones I did last year as they were a lot of fun. Each one had a slightly different energy.

  • Liverpool Pride - 25th July
  • Manchester Pride - 15th - 25th August
  • Brighton Pride - 2nd / 3rd August
  • Wirral Pride - 9th August in New Brighton
  • Trans Pride Brighton - 19th July
  • Trans Pride Manchester - 2nd August
  • Trans Pride Liverpool?

While my energy levels are all over the place, and I’m only working part-time, there are still things I’ve enjoyed and things I will enjoy. It is important to recognise that and not let depression take over and overwhelm you.

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