Okay, full disclosure, this is probably the 12th time I’ve tried to write this post this past month.
Will this one finally make it to publication? Let’s hope so!
So why have I been putting this off?
Well guess what, I injured my hand (again), and it was pretty rough this time.
Before you do a little freak out (especially my parents reading this), I’m fine, I’m fine. I’ve been going to occupational therapy for the past couple weeks and I have an appointment booked with an expensive massage therapist as well as a neurologist because unfortunately I may have an impinged nerve in my neck/shoulder/arm region.
I guess I kept putting off this newsletter because every time I tried to write it I was just reminded me how much I enjoyed making comics for this, and how I can’t do that right now and it sucks. I know I can just type out newsletter updates but I just feel like I’m letting everyone down by not posting comics like this newsletter is “classified” as.
Although I said, I’m fine, I really am, but I am also a little sad. I know that this will get better but once again I’m feeling frustrated because I haven’t been able to draw pain free since…. 2020??? So there’s just been a little group of existential crises hanging out in my brain asking myself questions like “What if I can’t draw ever again?” or “What if no one ever hires me again because I have to turn down work to heal?” or “What if I never heal ever again?”
Anyways, I think I’m going to need to reposition the paid subscription on this newsletter as a way to support me and my stupid medical bills for my hand. If you signed up for a yearly subscription with the promise of lots of exclusive posts and are disappointed with the lack of posts, feel free to e-mail me at liantomato@gmail.com and I’m sure we can figure something out (like a refund or pausing your subscription until I can make more paid posts). There will still be paid posts, but they may happen more sporadically and I wanted to be upfront about it to take the pressure off of myself.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, if my suffering is tugging at your heartstrings, you can support me below:
I did attempt to make a newsletter comic a couple weeks ago and I had to stop after my arm started hurting, but here is the beginning of it:
A cliffhanger!
Long story short, we applied, the other people ahead of us got accepted so we applied to three other places, got accepted to two, then suddenly the first applicants dropped out and we got the place that was our first pick! Phew. NY likes to keep you on your toes.
Apart from our stressful move, the past month has also been filled with some fun book events. My friend Jess Hannigan came to NY for her book launch and I acted as a proud stage mom the entire time.
We ate a lot of food and had a lot of fun.
You can purchase a signed copy of her very funny and mildly unethical book here!
Aside from Jess visiting, I did manage to do some drawing after agreeing to do a whole bunch of events, here are some photos:
I hung out at Books of Wonder for Indie Bookstore day with a bunch of other authors/illustrators. My friend Julie and I did a bunch of drawing together and even did a mini draw off for fun! Julie runs a very fun Substack I’d highly recommend you check out called The Sketch Bug.
I also taught a watercolor workshop to a group of 9-13 year olds at the Society of Illustrators! It was my first time teaching this age range and I had a blast. I taught them some basics and had them paint some fruit. One kid painted chose an orange to paint and ended up turning it into an exciting comic with a pig:
That’s all for today!
Thanks for sticking around this comic-not-really-comic-newsletter and supporting my work.
I can relate to so much in this newsletter!
I've had chest infection for 4 months. I had 2 antibiotics courses, inhalers, steroids.. Each time I feel I get a little better my daughter gets unwell, stops sleeping through the night, so I stop sleeping through the night, I'm exhausted and deteriorate again. And I honestly wonder if I will ever just NOT cough. Or will I always be just a little a unwell and always coughing. What was life before coughing? And the NYC apartment search looks very much like London flat search. I promised myself I'm not doing that again. If we have to move again, we are moving out of London and buying a house in some dreary commuter town. The only difference is that instead of basement apartments we have 'Victorian conversions' (with most of infrastructure intact from the Victorian times and a colony of mice that's been there so long it now has squatting rights).
I hope your hand gets better!! And congratulations on getting the right apartment! It's always like this, the process feels so depressing, but then somehow you end up getting that 'near perfect' place in the end. It all works out!
Many sympathies! Hope the stress and pain will subside as you start to settle in...