Reflections on 2021

It seems somewhat cliché to open with a comment on how seemingly quick this past year has passed, but it is an accurate statement. That being said, I don't think this is anything to do with 2021 in particular, lately the years just seem to pass by at a rate of knots, I simply think that it has been more notable this year.

I could go on about what a shit-show 2021 has been, but that has been done to death by so many others. So I'm going to look back and reflect on the positives of the last year.

Comic Book

I self published a comic! Okay, technically that started late 2020 with the publication of FLUX: Chapter One, but 2021 saw the publication of the subsequent three chapters and 2022 will see the continuation. I made my first convention appearances, taking tables at Unleashed Events Sheffield and Chesterfield Comic-Cons, where I tried my best to interact with other humans and promote the comic to a wider audience, face to face. With varying degrees of success! Again, 2022 will hopefully see me making more convention appearances.

Since the music career slowly faded away, I wasn't too sure what the next stage was going to be for me. Although I had always considered writing and creating my own piece of science fiction, I never thought I'd find myself writing and illustrating my own comic book, and that it would become as big a part of my life as making music once was.

Dungeons and Dragons

I started playing D&D some years ago, but 2021 saw it take on a new level. I find myself as part of a great group of players, who amazingly manage to meet up regularly and have completed a full campaign, albeit resulting in a TPK* during the final showdown with the end game boss. I now find myself running our current game, in a world of my own creation, which is a great way to flex those world building and storytelling muscles. All while playing in a number of other campaigns. D&D has become almost as big a part of my life as the comic, and has brought me a circle of the best friends I could wish for. D&D has made living through this pandemic that bit more bearable!

On Review...

...beyond creating the comic and D&D there was little else to report from 2021, but those two things were more than enough.

My Number 1s

Although many of the things I'm going to list below were not released in 2021, this is a list of things that were new to me in 2021.

Best Book read in 2021
East of West (series) by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta.

Best TV show watched in 2021
Star Trek: Lower Decks. It's epic!

Best Movie watched in 2021
I was going to give this to Dune, however I watched Man on Fire with Denzel Washington for the first time this year and that film blew me away. So I think it has to go to that. 

Best Video Game Played in 2021
This is a toss up between Horizon: Zero Dawn and Cyberpunk 2077. But I think I have to give it to Cyberpunk purely as I started playing Horizon in 2020 and played it over the new year period into 2021.

Best New Music I Discovered in 2021
'68 - A great two piece, making some delightful noise.

So here's to 2022

It'll no doubt fly by as quick as this past year has, and the pandemic shows no sign of disappearing, so personally I'm preparing for more of the same. I've never been one for new years resolutions but I am going in to the new years with "intentions." Things I'd like to achieve but not going to beat myself up over if I don't manage to. First and foremost, is to be kind to myself, and stop putting so much pressure on myself to achieve things (ironic I know). I'm going to continue to write, draw and publish comics. Book tables at conventions and try and become a successful creator - the definition of successful to be determined. If I manage to become healthier and live a better lifestyle, that would be a bonus but I'm not going to be so down on myself for not managing it as I have a tendency to do. My priorities for 2022 are to create as much as possible and build my audience.

Hope you all have a Happy New Year, and I wish you all the best for 2022.

Comments