Patreon Journal Entry – January 2022

Heyo! I hope you are doing okay in these trying times and that the first month of 2020-too has treated you well.  I know you might be busy dealing with life as we all are, but let me invite you to sit down and have a chat, catch up and just talk about trivialities. You can grab a coffee —I’ll have some black tea to change things up a little— and lay on your favourite seat. ☕

As you might already know from previous entries of the journal or my occasional rants and vents in some posts, I moved to another country so I could be with my boio. And I want to update you on some important things that have happened ever since I am here! First and foremost: now I am a legal, legal resident in Germany! Yes, one of the heavy bureaucratic processes that we were handling the last couple of months was for me to be able to stay for a longer period of time than the one my tourist visa would allow me. We got the notification by the end of December last year that the request had been approved —you see, I am no threat for german democracy or social order besides being stupid, of course…— and then I got my shiny residence card on the second week of January. It was a lot of stress and errands and whatnot but in the end it all paid off, and I am so thankful to all the people who made that possible. It feels so weird to think that I should’ve gone back to my country on the 6th of January, had we not requested the permit… So yeah! Mission accomplished.

But what does that really mean, besides the fact that I can stay here for up to a year now? Well, a few things really… I am legally allowed to work! Whether I decide to get some job here or, what I am aiming for, be a freelance artist. But, alas! With that possibility also comes a humongous foe… It is dangerous, scary and will haunt you in your darkest dreams… And they’re known as TAXES. Yes, sir. If I’m not careful or any of us gets a taxable job, then I might need to pay taxes soon. It also depends on the income I make, or something like that… So, if I get a lot of money with my art I might have to pay taxes and… and… Look, I barely understand how they work. They’re complicated, haha. I had no problems with that in my country. There taxes were not relevant if I was a freelancer because I did not have to register my business or anything alike —and the government would most likely steal the money anyway. Contrary to that, Germany requires me to be registered under the finance office so I can work and pay the taxes after I reach certain threshold, and not paying those means jail. On top of that, I also need to take care of insurances and stuff and those are expensive compared to the income I have now —also, Germany having the second most expensive healthcare system doesn’t help much, so…

But don’t get me wrong. I am so happy that I can be here and work to build a future and get a footing in my new home. And talking about that, I will also need to attend to an Integration Course and improve my German level from A1 to B-something. Yep, a lot of things coming my way, so I hope I can handle all of that, heh. Good thing is, though, that not everything is bureaucracy and Steuern and Versicherungen and long words I can barely pronounce. I have got the chance to have a blast with my boio going ice skating, to restaurants and even to the theater to watch The Addams Family Musical! I'm so thankful that despite the whole ‘Rona situation and the fact he’s in exams phase —and unbearably demanding  attention, haha— he finds the time so we can have fun in between the days and stuff. Everything is so lovely, and during these stressful times we are (all) going through I find it important to distract ourselves with even small things we enjoy: playing a round or two of Overcooked, or paying to a multibillionaire company to have access to their films and series and cry while singing “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”.

Now, if you ask me about my art and the place is gonna have for me now… Well, not much has changed. I mean, I have pushed some limits here and there with the rendering and the complexity of the pieces and the backgrounds. It feels good to see some progress in my craft, especially when I’ve been having several ups and downs lately. Art is hard, you know? Not only because of the skills it involves, but I think it also induces this pressure and feeling of not-being-enough when trying to build an online presence and finding your place among everyone else… shaaa. BUT, when you make stuff you like and find people who enjoy what you do then it is one of the most beautiful feelings. 💖

So yeah, things have moved quite a bit. I am still planning on what to do next here on Patreon and perhaps getting to work on some commissions (those insurances won’t pay themselves hahahahelp). I will for sure keep you all informed of any major change if needed, but in the meantime I will continue to draw cute boys, occasional spicy pics and Toby. A. Lot. Of. Toby.

To wrap it up I want to once again thank you so very much for all the support I receive. It has been a wild ride and counting on you all motivates me to continue drawing stuff and creating more content. I appreciate it if you read all the way here and allowed me to share a bit of my life and thoughts through this text, hopefully you enjoyed the coffee! That’s all I have for now, but the conversation could continue on the comments should you have anything you want to say. ✨

Without anything else to mention, I bid you farewell! I hope you stay safe and creative. Until next time~ :D

Yeiko