It’s time again for me to say THANK YOU to everyone that supports my work on Patreon. Thanks to your help, I’ve been able to continue work on the Virtual Gonzo Zine Library. Read on for a little bit more about that below.
Life with Anxiety, Anxiety Life
I want to be transparent about my mental health, because I think it’s helpful for others to know they’re not alone in this.
I’ve struggled my whole life with depression. After watching “The Babadook,” I think of depression like the monster in my personal basement. Always there, in my life, but hopefully part of the background most of the time as long as I take care of myself… but occasionally, escaping it’s home in the basement to spend a few days in the foreground of my consciousness. For the most part, I try to love myself and let it pass.
Anxiety is a newer animal for me, not completely unfamiliar but challenging and making itself a bigger part of my life than ever before. It’s too soon to really tell if the medicine is helping, but I do know it’s been valuable to talk to a therapist again. The one I’m working with is friendly, open-minded, listens well, and gives me good advice and clarity about my situation. Right now, most of us could use a little more clarity.
I know that not everyone can afford therapy but, if you’re struggling too, look for the options available to you. There are often sliding scale options in your area, and most therapists have now made the transition to online sessions. Good luck and take care of yourself as best you can.
In other notes, I’m also looking ahead a few weeks, towards spending my 42nd birthday in isolation, and thinking about what I can do to make it a celebratory affair despite the circumstances.
The Virtual Gonzo Zine Library: Spring Edition, coming soon
I’m going to be making my final selections for the “Spring Edition” of my Virtual Gonzo Zine Library. The idea is to curate a list of reading material in zine form, which includes interesting topics you might have missed, or useful information you might want to share around.
I hope to offer new “editions” or “issues” of the library periodically, a few times per year. Each one will include a set of free zines to check out. I’m focusing on zines that feel important to read in this current moment, and zines which are overall written in approachable, informative, and entertaining ways.
Any current Patrons (as of April 1st) at the Gonzo Insider level or above ($10+) will get printed copies of the “Spring Edition” in the mail later this month.
For everyone else, all the files you need to print & read the zines will be online for free. I think we could all use some interesting reading material during these bizarre and deeply challenging times.
“Beyond the Concrete Milkshake” Update
I’ve commissioned three pieces of original artwork for “Beyond the Concrete Milkshake,” my upcoming zine about handling media grifters & trolls at street protests. They’ve sent me some wonderful sketches and work in progress updates, and I hope to share a sneak preview with my patrons soon.
At this point, I’m on schedule to finish this zine in early May. Again, while I’ll be sending paper copies to my most generous supporters, I’m going to make sure the zine is freely available on my website, and submit it to online zine libraries so the information can be out there.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me if you have questions, ideas, tips, concerns, or want to recommend some of your favorite zines to me.
