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šæ Behind the Veil: Mythseeker Progress + Life Lately
🕑 Added 2025-05-01 20:13:10 +0000 UTCHello friends! Happy first day of May!!! š
I wanted to check in with an updateāboth as your mythweaver behindāÆ The Mythseeker, and as the slightly feral, slightly enchanted gremlin-druid-hermit currently running mostly on tea, passion, and lunar vibes.
Thereās a lot unfolding behind the scenes, and I want to offer some transparencyāon the project, on my health, and on what it means to keep making meaning, even when things feel hard.
š Where We Are ā Volume 1 Progress
Volume 1 ofāÆThe MythseekerāÆis deep in the editing and polishing stageālikely the third major rewrite, though at this point, Iāve stopped counting. This phase is focused on trimming, grammar, and finding a consistent tone that reflects the storyās mythic heartbeat.
This first volume is the most āunder constructionā of the seriesāwhere I was still re-learning my voice, rebuilding trust in my creative instincts, and letting the story reshape itself around themes that have only grown more personal.
The actual volume began being tackled around August of last year. In the past few months I've really tried to ramp my focus on this. I've been pouring in long hours into itāwhich is partly why illustrations and extra art have taken a temporary back seat in the past few months (or I am starting a million pieces and haven't had time to finish them!). I want this first volume to be strong, but I also know I need to stop nitpicking eventually and let my beta readers take the wheel.
Speaking of: if you're one of my patrons and would like to be a beta reader (or even a āvibe checker,ā if you donāt have time for a full edit) Iād love your help!
Iāve also been reorganizing my workspace lately: syncing platforms, backing up content, moving most of my writing to Scrivener, refining my toolset, and spending countless hours trying to improve my writing. This is helping me work more smoothly not only on the main books, but also the lore compendium, short stories, and bonus art content. The goal is still a late August release... but more on that below.
š Why This Project Matters
I think I startedāÆ The MythseekerāÆas a way to survive.
I hit a point after events in 2023 where I simply broke down and couldn't move forward. The stress was so bad it affected and rewired my body a bit. Some good--it seemed to kick me back into shape. Some bad--I struggle with eating and weight loss every now. But no matter... while there was no defined moment, eventually I was like "enough is enough". There's a lot more to this, but the Mythseeker project has been both a means to connect with others, heal, and find my creative voice again.
Despite loss, means to cope, some isolationāI want to rewrite old wounds into something new. To build a place where mythology and modernity could meetāwhere characters like Shay, Aiden, and Holly could wrestle with identity, belonging, and transformation. I joke that I started this project to learn how to draw modern shoes properly and simply was craving to mess with a vague supernatural story idea. Now, it feels like something so much more.
This story is what happens when things I grew up withāStudio Ghibli, Lord of the Rings, Tintināalongside Irish folklore, trauma processing, and queer found-family storytelling into a blender and hoped for the best. It's a little scary, too. But I think after so many things... life experiences, being inspired by loved ones, beautiful animations like The Secret of Kells... I want to share this with everyone, I and I truly hope it can at least be a source of entertainment or hope.
š Life, Health, and Creative Survival
This year has beenā¦ a lot. Sadly, this is a lot of others too. It's a difficult time, and I want to acknowledge that.
Between my own health flares, caretaking duties, emotional overload, and the ever-intensifying pressure of world events, Iāve been operating from a place of near-constant recalibration, trying to find means to volunteer more, help my friends.. it's a lot. Despite being the infamous caretaker or mom friend, I've had to force myself to slow down and replenish my own cup. But that's good. I'm finally learning true means of compassion and self-love instead of co-dependence or fear.
Iāve also spent the last couple weeks caring for a fragile, abandoned baby bird (a mockingbird, I believe)āsomething I never planned for but somehow mirrors so much of my internal journey. Itās reminded me of how love is not just beautiful, but exhausting. How presence matters more than perfection. How I have to let go of control. That there is sometimes not always a right and wrong. I guess I've been praying for more strength these days, and this was the answer. Mythseeker is all about this. So it's good I got to experience this in a more contained, visceral way, if that makes sense. It's taught me a lot.
Iām still dealing with chronic health conditions, including fibromyalgia, hormone issues, and mental health recovery. And yetāthereās good news, too. After many months of trial and error, my lab results are finally showing improvement. Iāve lost over 100 pounds, stabilized on key medications (I'm taking so much less!), and found a healthier rhythm with food, sleep, and emotional care. That would not have been possible without the support Iāve received here. Truly.
Iām also deeply aware of the weight so many of us are carrying right nowāespecially as disabled, queer, trans, neurodivergent, immigrant, and marginalized people face new waves of cruelty and injustice. That weight enters my work. It always has. I wantāÆThe MythseekerāÆto be more than escapism. I want it to be a portal toward compassion, resistance, and reclamation.
Sometimes that means slowing down. I may need to focus more on volunteer and advocacy work. Sometimes it means saying: Iāll miss a deadline if it means I show up more fully human on the other side. Thank you for allowing me the grace to do that.
I will keep prioritizing the quality and soul of the project over rushing through it. If we need to move the launch from late August to early fall or winter, Iāll let you knowābut I still believe we can make it.
š± Whatās Coming Next
Hereās what I hope to slowly roll out in the weeks ahead:
Patron-exclusive content like process videos, concept art, works-in-progress, and writing snippets
Silly side content, doodles, and memes
Process tutorials and behind-the-scenes peeks (how I organize my lore, how I outline, how I structure a creative life around chronic health)
Blog posts like this!
Your support is what makes this possible. Whether youāre here for the art, the story, or just the encouraging energy, thank you. This Patreon is currently my sole income, and nearly every cent goes directly into either creative production or medical needs. Every bit helps me stay afloat and keep building the world of Myth.
(P.S. Financial Transparency & Sonic Disclosure)
As frugal and careful as I am about where every bit of support goes, I will admit... yes, I occasionally bribe myself with a Sonic run. š
Living in a rural area, I donāt have many nearby options (though a tiny coffee shop just openedātempting, but I still prioritize costs). Sonic ends up being one of the only spots I can reach when I get car access, and honestly? Itās been a great excuse to leave the house, touch some grass, and remind myself what the sun looks like. So if youāve ever wondered if your support bought a Route 44 diet cranberry limeade to lure this feral gremlin into fresh airāyes. Yes it did. And it helped. Thank you.
š Final Thoughts
I donāt know if Iāll ever be someone who ever will 'arrive'. It's an eternal journey; I must treat the good and bad as sacred, means to keep fighting and means to keep hoping. But I do know that Iām still walking, still drawing, still writing, still wanting to help and love as best I can.
And Iām grateful youāre here beside me. Weāre weaving something mythic, one page at a time.
With gratitude and weird bird energy (whom we are not naming but if I did they would be Bishop),
š Susannah
Comments
Defenistration Computing
Praying for you, friendo, and proud of all you've done and excited to see where you take it c:
