#audience appreciation

It was one year ago that Yoga Pants Girl was born. I feel like there should be a comic to mark the occasion but 1) I didn’t realize the anniversary was today until I turned the page in my book of days and 2) even if I had remembered I was too sick this week (and yesterday esp, omg migraine) to do anything.

Still, I didn’t want the day to pass without saying anything, so I hope everyone will forgive the lack of artwork that goes with this post.

It’s amazing to me that one year ago I had an idea about using art to deal with my illness and today it become something so much bigger than myself.

As of me writing this there are about 450 followers of YPG on Tumblr, and that’s not even touching on the people who may follow it through RSS feeds or other methods. (In contrast, my personal tumblr has about 70, most of whom I’m pretty sure followed me by accident).

I’d love to draw (…heh) some far reaching conclusions about how this speaks to a shared sense of community or the commonality we all have in spite of how our illnesses may differ. But I think that’s a bit much for even my ego to lay claim to.

Instead I will be very selfish and say that if nothing else it helps me feel connected to the rest of you. It means so much when I can put out my amateur scribbles of a comic and see that somebody else recognizes what I’m talking about. It feels so much less lonely to see the likes, and the reblogs, and the comments of “GPOY” or sharing of personal experiences.

As I’ve said before, my illness is such that I often feel lost and forgotten in a cave of spikes. It means more than I can say that there are others out there who hear me, and shout back to let me know I’m not alone.

If what I do can even somehow in some tiny way make you guys feel the same, then I’m both grateful and honored.

Thank you so much everybody! Here’s to year 2!