#planktontexts

[plankton-in-space]

Hello! It me!

Hello friends! It has been a while, I’m still here!

It’s my birthday again, today. This year passed so fast and so slow at the same time. 33 is such a nice symmetrical number, though!

Literally nothing went according to plan, there were many dark moments when I thought that life is simply suffering. I felt alone and overwhelmed and I withdrew from social media and from life bc what was the point?

My family is well and healthy, the crisis has passed and we all survived it. I try to let go of past resentments and look at the now of us, which I never seemed to appreciate before. We are here, we are alive and we are all a work in progress. It is so difficult sometimes to focus on that, when life is fast-paced and I try to think of every possible scenario that might happen in the future.

It has been my constant obsessive thought, the future, to the point of neglecting my present. But I’m learning to fight it on so many levels. Future plankton can take care of herself, current plankton needs to eat well, sleep well and be happy!

How easy it is to say “be happy” but how fleeting it is as a feeling. I felt very very happy this year, more so than any other year I’ve been alive. Even when happiness was sandwiched between the sads, it was there, sparkling!

I walked my dog everyday, in the forest, with his two bodyguards (our two stray cats, Aziraphale & Crowley) meowing behind us. They kept me company when I washed my tools with the hose, waiting patiently to be petted by my cold hands in the end.

The sun in my face, clay on my hands. Painting with watercolours after abstaining for years. Running with Kohta Yamamoto playing on my headphones. Learning to meditate. Books, ceramics, comics, art, alone or with other people.

My bestie was always waiting with coffee, gossip, ideas and laughter and I love her so so much. I really appreciated the company and the sympathetic ears when I needed to cry about the world. My other irl friends were amazing too, I was never alone. My brain tried to convince me I was, but I wasn’t. I was teacher, friend, daughter, sister, helper.

And I accomplished so much! I won’t share what, for a reason. I accomplished a lot and I am proud but my biggest success has been letting go. I’m an overachiever ok? I like working and being good at what I do and my biggest flaw is overworking myself to the point of burnout, to prove to myself that I’m worth the love I receive, the attention. Look at me, I am bright and hardworking and pleasant, love me love me love me. But I receive the love and the care nonetheless, and I want to remember that. I am loved because I am me, and I am who I am because I am very, very loved.

And this is the energy I wanna bring into my 33s, into 2024. I am loved deeply and I love deeply and I care. Numbing myself, trying to avoid the hurts and the sadness only numbs the joy, the quirkiness, the sheer weirdness of existence. If I fail, I will try again, if I cry, I will laugh again.

I hope you are all healthy this year, and happy. I hope you notice the sunrises and the sunsets, the flowers and the birds and the seasons.

I don’t know if I will be more online this year or not. Being online takes time I would rather give to me, well, being present in my life. I haven’t decided yet which socials to keep, how often to post, how to reduce doom scrolling without going offline. It’s a work in progress.

But now, in this moment in time, I will post my mermay drawings bc I managed to finish the challenge just yesterday! wahoo!

[plankton-in-space]

I am successfully 32!!!!! Journal below.

I was looking at old pics of me from 2020, 2021 and you can see so much. I looked so bright in 2020 and then dimmer and dimmer. I gave too much away and did not keep enough for myself, to the point of looking like a shadow. And then…. I started taking control of my life again. Now I look a bit tired but it’s a happy, accomplished tiredness. It is hard won. My smiles are genuine and my happiness is clean.

I quit my job in July and left my horrible boss behind. I left some horrible situations behind, generally. I spent much of my 31 alone but not lonely. It was quiet and as restful as it could get with a career change and life getting in the way. I got to know myself deeply in a way I didn’t before because I didn’t have the time or the brain space, I was too occupied with other people. What does this person do? Do they need help? I should offer pieces of myself like a lamb at the butcher’s to make their life brighter, to make the world happier. This year there was none of that.

I decided to pursue a career in ceramics and I did the work for it! I met some wonderful people as a result, made new friends. My teacher is the most supportive person I know, she really helped me during those bleak months before my resignation. I am not gaining much money from it yet, and that was a stressful thought for most of the past year. But I am working on it and people love my creations and I love my art. I had missed that a lot. There is something very therapeutic about the process of digging your hands through damp-smelling clay, of creating something from scratch. Someone’s favorite mug. I don’t miss my old job at all, not even for the financial perks.

My older friendships have suffered a lot this year… It was lots of shitty situations piled on top of each other and not enough compassion on all sides. I learnt to accept my part of the blame, and also to let it go. Sometimes, the people closest to us will hurt us and not mean it and we can either cut them off or try to work with them and let it go. I cut some of them off but I also kept some and now it’s time to put in the work. It’s very cathartic and, dare I say, mature to see them as people with faults and not put myself in a victim position. It’s liberating to say “this is how relationships go, with ups and downs” and throw away my superiority complex and my need to be right and to assign blame. I am also human and I have also erred and I have also been forgiven.

I asked myself a lot “is this miserable person who you wanna be?” this year. And it wasn’t! I want to be kind and someone who will be remembered as forgiving and not an asshole. I see now the scars that other situations and people left on me, and I don’t want to be this negative bitter person. I want to tell them “I learnt nothing from you and what a lesson that was” and wave them goodbye and seek the kind, forgiving people.

I started reading a book and it changed my life. I met the most vibrant community because of it and I unraveled lots of my issues thanks to the people in it. (It’s called the Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard, go read it I am SERIOUS and then come say hi on discord). I met other ace people and got to talk about romantic relationships and sex and queerplatonic relationships! That last one really resonated with me, and what a discovery that was!

And then! I got my Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis in October and it explained SO MUCH. Like…. so much. It threw me completely off balance and I am still processing it. I am reading about it and educating myself and it has been hard and fun and sad and happy. I am discovering myself like I am a new continent full of colorful birds and weird foliage. My childhood and adolescence make so much more sense now. I try to be kinder to myself and to recognize my limits and my strengths, knowing this. My therapist has been my rock through it.

I am drawing again and it is fun again! I am picking up my webcomic, first for a con in April and then for online updates, if everything goes well! I also have a merfolk comic in the works, still in the planning stages though! I am insanely thankful for taking almost 4 years off. I am back and happier and I am drawing for myself again which is something I thought I lost forever. I missed comics!

This is getting too long so… I am happy I am here. I am happy all of you are here! Surviving 2022 wasn’t an easy feat and yet here we are! Onward and upwards to 2023!

[plankton-in-space]

Hi there, just wanted to ask you if you know anything about Cassandra Diaz? She had used diaz portal and viajeros bizg as tumblr accounts and I am trying to find and reblog as much of her art as I can. If you have any posts that you've liked and which I can't repost direct then I'd really appreciate it if you could send them my way. I really apologize for any inconveniences and if I've bothered you

I did follow her and I haven't noticed that she stopped posting, tbh! You can find all the posts that I've reblogged from her here & here, but please do not repost her art on other social media without her permission. There are many reasons why an artist might delete their blog/art and we, as fans, should respect it!

(you didn't bother me at all! I'm sorry for the late reply!)

[plankton-in-space]

31

🎂 Introspection below:

It has been a hard year (for everyone, I think), but also a very full one! I want to celebrate my achievements today.

📔 this year I wrote in my journal more than ever. I filled a 100pg notebook every 2 months! I wrote down my thoughts, fun stuff, sad stuff, what I ate, little things & big things. It was very cathartic and looking back now, I can see all the growth!

🌟 I stayed in therapy & could really feel the progress. Even though I shared some hard stuff, I really looked forward to each session. For the first time in my life, I put myself first. I revamped some friendships, threw some ppl out, forgave myself for my mistakes.

🐟 so much kalimba, so much aquarium care, so much progress on both. My hobbies flourished! I let myself unapologetically enjoy the things I love even if they’re cheesy.

🎨 I drew only when I felt like it. It’s ok if I don’t feel like it often. Mostly I let myself just exist, and I grew as a result of it.

🌛 I finally got the difference between solitude and loneliness. My own company is the best! At the same time, I’m more sociable than I ever was & I made some new friends that I actually chose. I’m very thankful they’re in my life!

🌦️ I lost my grandma in a slow & agonizing way, I lost my kitty. It was the first time I really let myself grieve & it really put things into perspective. I cut ppl off when they told me to get over it (get over yourselves, you’re not that important).

☀️ I learnt how to deal with negative feelings (loss, anger, sadness, disappointment) without stifling them or letting them rule me. Excess of either really hurt me.

🐌 I made several decisions regarding my career that I’ve been putting off

 🌊 I am glad I am alive, for the first time. I feel very excited for the future!

[plankton-in-space]

Garlic, olive oil, fresh herbs (can u tell I'm Greek lol)

For those of yall who cook w any regularity, what are ur kitchen staples? The ingredients u always have on hand bc u use them for everything? Mine are onions, honey, and red pepper hummus

[plankton-in-space]

I’m 30! WOOHOO

Hey! So... this is my 2020 roundup post, a lot has happened this year!

I have mixed feelings about my 29th year, as you can probably imagine. It has been both my most introverted and most productive year.

Work was absolute hell. It moved like a pendulum between “so busy I’m skipping meals” and “on a state stipend because of the quarantine”. The good thing that happened is that I decided to revamp my portfolio & pursue more creative work. I looked at my creations and loved them which hasn’t happened in decades (thank you, my therapist).

The photo I used for my CV

I didn’t draw much this year BUT I loved all of my drawings. I started doing studies which I haven’t done since uni. I also realised that my relationship with art wasn’t healthy; I used drawing as a coping mechanism, to avoid thinking, to avoid having any kind of personal life. I was either drawing or working, which made art less enjoyable and more of a chore. I had severe burnout for most of the year (I’m still feeling it, tbh) so I tried to not push myself too much and instead enjoy it more. It worked! Drawing feels like healing now, slowly but surely. I intend to get back to doing comics soon.

Some procreate studies from my own photos

There was an explosion of personal growth, in therapy and out of it. Quarantines gave me a lot of time to think about stuff, to work out my feelings. I learnt to manage my anxiety better, I set limits to my relationships, I had several deep conversations with people close to me. I came out to my bro and started socialising in LGBT+ circles for the first time in my life. Being sociable and open with people doesn’t come naturally to me so it’s been an uphill battle. Quarantine put a damper on things but... I’m much more ready to be open now. I’ve never felt more ready for it.

For the first time, the outside matches my inside. T-shirt says “ACE in your face!”

I started new hobbies! I ordered a kalimba during the first quarantine and I’ve been teaching myself several songs. I... enjoy it so much. I hadn’t played an instrument since primary school and I feel a childlike joy every time I manage to play a song correctly. The first song I learned is Unrestrained (Wuji) from The Untamed.

My kalimba is so pretty and it sounds like angels singing

I also took a ceramics class between quarantines. It was so much fun and unlocked my imagination! I felt my relationship with drawing was stagnating, this gave me the creative break that I needed. I had to stop due to the second quarantine, but I intend to continue after it ends and I have so many ideas for new projects. I might even start selling my creations!

My first attempt! I kept it as a paperweight

I also moved from my small dingy aquarium to a larger one. It was a stressful move but my fish, shrimps and plants are doing so much better now! I had a few deaths and a bout of fish illness (which necessitated the move in the first place), but we all came out stronger and I feel like a proud parent. They are all my babies and they deserve the best.

The new aquarium is like a villa compared to the old one XD

I’ve been having health problems that stressed me for most of the year and resulted in a trip to the ER in August. Being stressed exacerbated it, which made me more stressed and.... yeah. It sucks. Working out helps (and was encouraged by my doctor) so.... I started running! And yoga, via an app. And I bought a bicycle. I haven’t enjoyed being active since I was a child, it is so much fun! I’m not an athlete by any means, but it’s a very nice distraction.

The sunset from the running track

I could keep writing, this year was very full of good and bad things, but I’ll stop here.

I am very glad that I survived till my 30s, I.... there were times, 5 years ago, that I thought I would die young. I’m very hopeful about the future!

[plankton-in-space]

mermay stuff

@konveeart​ just so you know I read all your tags and I am so so chuffed you like my art! THANK YOU for all the reblogs, the boosts, the enthusiasm and the good feels, I am so so happy you’re enjoying my silly mer drawings!!!! I’m having fun with them, I wish it was mermay all year long....

Guys, go give @konveeart​ some love, the art is awesome, full of soft feelings and pretty colours!

[plankton-in-space]

I’m 29!

I went to my first comic con, I traveled a bit abroad and in Greece, I started an aquarium, worked a lot (like always) and tried to get better! Below the cut are lots of pics and stuff I did this past year.

Just a warning: I will be reducing my online presence, it won’t impact my post count much because I have a queue. More info below the cut.

This past year has been both harder and easier, it brought a lot of changes, stress, heartache and loneliness, but it was still better than 2018.

I finally cut my hair short! I loved it, I felt more like myself than ever!

I’ve been in therapy for almost a year now, it has helped a lot. It helped me realise how many things I was doing just to avoid thinking about me, my body or my soul, how much I worked and I neglected my health because of it. It wasn’t easy to admit all this to myself, that I’ve been treating myself badly for so long it became the norm for me. I am now slowly and consistently working towards being healthier mentally and physically. The hardest part was realising that you don’t need to be actively harmful to be neglectful.

At Athens Pride, it was explosive this year!

On the other hand, I made a true effort towards healthier relationships! I managed to set boundaries and enforce them, came clear about things that I wanted or things that bothered me. There was a lot of growth on personal level and I’m proud of myself. I hope I can continue this way.

I saw Florence and The Machine live and I still haven’t recovered. It was an Experience

I am very thankful for my friends and my family, who really made an effort this year! I know I haven’t been the best company, but your support means a lot to me! We had a lot of sunny days, outings, coffee breaks, heartfelt conversations together. I look forward to another year of those!

I traveled to Rome to meet a friend for the first time irl! SO MUCH FUN!

I also took a short road trip with friends to a nearby island, it was very calm and pretty

I’ve been giving myself more time and quiet moments to process things without forced socialising. More quality Aspa time I guess. It’s done wonders to my self esteem and my sanity, heh!

Spent quality time with my dog, Cookie

Started a fully planted aquarium, did lots of research, now I get hypnotised by my fish and plants dancing

About my comic and drawing in general, it has been hard. The first part of the year was me working frantically to meet up the comic con deadlines, and the second part had me looking blankly at the screen trying to think of something to draw. I haven’t drawn anything more than silly sketches in months, I haven’t written for my comic in months.

My table at my first con! It was a major success, I met so many interesting people!

I feel guilty about it, but sometimes it is what it is. I am not giving up but evidently I needed a break. I will return at some point, but I’m trying not to force myself to do things just for the sake of it. I want to be passionate and caring about my work, right now that’s not the first thing on my mind and that’s ok.

I got into Mo Dao Zu Shi and The Untamed, which was fun but didn’t quite manage to rekindle my passion for art

I’ve also realised how much time I spend on social, just silently scrolling, instead of doing literally anything else. I will be reducing my online presence to just a few hours per week and I promised myself I will be completely offline for the weekends. It drains me too much.

I’ve been spending a lot of time at the National Garden instead, so peaceful

All in all, it was a good year. I hope 2020 brings me more good things, I will continue working hard for them. 

[plankton-in-space]

Γεία σου Άσπα! Επιτέλους βρήκα το χρόνο να διαβάσω το κόμικ σου με ησυχία.. Το ένιωθα μέσα μου ότι θα με ταρακούναγε αφάνταστα!! Είναι τρομερό.. (εννοείται πως έχω σπαμάρει το blog σου, #notsorry). Χάρηκα πολύ που σε γνώρισα στο comicdom!! Το σάββατο είχε έρθει μια φίλη μου και μου πήρε δώρο ένα από τα σακουλάκια με τα αυτοκόλλητα που είχες, ήξερα την επόμενη μέρα μολις είχα ελεύθερο χρόνο ότι έπρεπε να σε βρώ!!) Έχεις τρομερό χρώμα!!!! ΔΕΝ ΜΟΥ ΦΤΑΝΟΥΝ ΟΙ ΛΕΞΕΙΣ!! (όχι, σοβαρά, πρέπει να κάνω 2-

-ποστ..ουπς!) Χαίρομαι τόσο πολύ που έχω ένα τέτοιο πεφταστέρι στα χέρια μου, νιώθω πολύ τυχερή που ήμουν στο κο�� τη σωστή στιγμή

@konveeart ΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑ άργησα τόσο πολύ να το δω αυτό ΗΛΙΘΙΟ ΤΑΜΠΛΡ ΠΟΥ ΔΕΝ ΕΜΦΑΝΙΖΕΙΣ ΤΑ ΜΗΝΥΜΑΤΑ!!!! ΧΙΛΙΑ ΣΥΓΓΝΩΜΗ! Δεν σε αγνοούσα το υπόσχομαι!!!! Μόλις το είδα και είμαι #shook

Σε ευχαριστώ πάρα πάρα πάρα πολύ για τα καλά σου λόγια! Δεν ξέρεις πόσο χαρούμενη με κάνεις, αυτό το κόμικ με παίδεψε πάρα πολύ και μερικές φορές ένιωθε τόσο μάταιη η προσπάθεια. Μερικές φορές δεν ένιωθα και πολύ σίγουρη για το αν ήταν καλή ιδέα να πάω στο κον, τα κόμικ μου είναι πάντα τόσο (χαζο)χαρούμενα και πολύχρωμα που δεν ήξερα αν πραγματικά ανήκω εκεί. Το ότι σε συνάντησα και έδειξες τόση χαρά για το κόμικ μου με έκανε να νιώσω τόσο καλοδεχούμενη!

Χάρηκα κι εγώ πάρα πολύ που σε γνώρισα, το κόμικ σου ήταν από τα αγαπημένα μου φέτος, ειδικά για το χρώμα! Ήταν τόσο ονειρικό και η σύνθεση και το χρώμα πραγματικά με ταξίδεψαν! Επίσης, ήταν απίστευτο που ήταν τόσο εκφραστικό χωρίς να έχει καθόλου λόγια.

Αλλά να τα λέμε κι αυτά, το absolute αγαπημένο μου ήταν το haku print. Δεν το έχω κρεμάσει ακόμα στο δωμάτιό μου γιατί θέλω να του πάρω την κατάλληλη κορνίζα αλλά ΤΟ ΑΓΑΠΩ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΠΑΝΕΜΟΡΦΟ! Θα σου στείλω φωτό μόλις βρει την θέση του στο Aspa’s Hall of Fame.

Ελπίζω να σε ξαναδώ σε επόμενα κον και ανυπομονώ να δω νέες δουλειές σου! Έχασα το Gameathlon με το zine με τους κένταυρους, ελπίζω να το ξαναφέρεις. (ένα από τα τελευταία σου σχέδια, με την Chihiro, πραγματικά με άγγιξε! Είναι η αγαπημένη μου ταινία και έπιασες το mood τόσο καλά!)

Καλό καλοκαίρι και σε σένα και πάλι συγγνώμη για τον άπειρο καιρό που μου πήρε να απαντήσω!

[plankton-in-space]

birthday shitposting

hey guys! I turned 28 today. Introspective thoughts under the cut.

So. Officially 28. Goodbye 27, you sucked. This past year was.... hard. I struggled a lot, felt sad for most of it and often wished for a break. I usually try to see the good side of things, but it didn’t work most of the time. My most important achievement is that I survived, so there.

Some of the good stuff: I got my driving license (with mixed success, I’m a ball of anxiety when driving but it’s a work in progress), I traveled to Warsaw and had a blast, traveled to Crete and ate a LOT. I also worked pretty hard, as my boss says. I worked more on my webcomic and also managed to complete both Mermay & Inktober. I made more plant friends and started an aquarium too (still a work in progress).

The bad stuff: I finally realised that the way I handle human relations sucks, and it needs to change. It’s partly ‘cause I have anxiety and partly because of some behavioural patterns I’m trying hard to break. I felt very lonely for most of 2018. It’s been a year of self-discovery, but I’ll try hard to make 2019 a year of self-love. I def need to love myself more, so that other people can love me too.

so cheers, past-me. 28-year-old-me will work hard to make 2018 the last bad year. Onwards to more sunlit days.

[plankton-in-space]

Hey friends! This year I'm probably not doing mermay. I do have about 5 finished drawings for it, but I like none of them. It really doesn't spark joy this year... Even though I started it with much enthusiasm.

I might post them later this month if I feel like it, but I am officially done with it for now.

[plankton-in-space]

The coloring, esp. in its final stages! Lineart is my worst, mostly bc I need to clean up my messy compositions 😅

when you’re drawing/painting/makin’ art do you have a favorite part or step? or do you enjoy the whole process? (I like the lineart and cleanup part)

[plankton-in-space]

Summer

Hey! I'll be going on a summer trip with some friends so I'll be off tumblr for a few days (10-21 August most probably). I'll respond to any messages you send after I return. Also there's a queue set up like always, so the blog will be active in the meantime.

Have a nice summer, everyone <3

[plankton-in-space]

Hey!

I will be out of the country on a trip to Warsaw 11-15 May, so I will not be active on this blog. I have set a queue up, like always, and I’ll respond to any messages after I return.

Now, back to silent blogging. See ya!

[plankton-in-space]

I had the BEST dream last night. I was reading a book (and seeing it like a movie in my head) that had adventure, sweet fluff, friendship and a lgbt couple of protagonists, with a very hopeful message and a feel like Diana Wynne Jones’ books. IT WAS AWESOME. Then I woke up and realised I don’t have a book like that... i wanted to cry.

(It was about a mute boy moving to an isolated farm to live with his uncle, meeting a local sunshine boy. They become best friends, go adventuring to the local woods that are full of magic, then they fall in love and discover the meaning of loving others unconditionally. Their families were supportive!!!!!! They defeated the school bullies with love and magic!!!)

[plankton-in-space]

Personal Blah

I am starting swimming in the local pool and also driving lessons and my program is gonna be so swamped and i am so stressed but also SO DAMN EXCITED!!!! Finally, something different!