My 2024 Highlights + “New” Areas of Focus For 2025

The year is wrapping up very soon. I think it is appropriate to celebrate the successes of this year, before entering 2025 with NEW goals. I say “goals,” but it feels more appropriate to say “areas of focus.” Sometimes the “focus” is wrong, but the plans of the heart are all in the right place. That’s what I’ve come to learn, since I first created this website.

2024 Successful Highlights!

Got off ALL my psyche medications this year! Over the years, they had negative effects on my body and mind, which hindered my success with the comics. Not only the comics, but also my ability to earn a steady income in general. It also affected my ability to communicate with people in my community, so the mental clarity has been a MASSIVE improvement! Not perfect, but certainly an improvement ❤
I now have a rough outline, for the timeline of Space Grind! In the past, I wasn’t sure how to structure my story, because I was still figuring out what kind of story I was even trying to tell. 7.5 years later, my heart’s mission behind this story is becoming more clear to me! I believe it is only going to become more clear, as the years progress!
I visited the August Fan Expo in Chicago, where I got to be around other creative and talented people! Both people who have well-known success in the entertainment industry, and people (like me) who are putting themselves out there, with a big DREAM in their heart! ❤ One of them being Victoria Weber, whom you can check out here: https://www.instagram.com/victoriawebercomedy/
I had my very first Instagram collaboration with internet voice actor Terrance Nicholson! This guy clearly has put in the HARD WORK in his craft, and I am honored that he let me use his voice for a little video of “Bad Boy” (a new character I made this year)
Speaking of Bad Boy, I have made several other NEW characters this year! Each of them with a specific, story-driven purpose. I would say nearly all my characters (both newer & older) each have a more clear & concise role in the overall story of Space Grind. I feel so blessed that I have been able to flesh out each of their personalities for this many years! Not everyone understands them, but it is still so rewarding to come this far ❤

Those are some highlights! Even with those highlights, I consider 2024 to be my HARDEST year (behind-the-scenes). Some of it because of me, and some of it is because of circumstances outside my control. Below, I want to list some things I intend to prioritize for 2025. Not all of them may seem directly related to my creative passions, but each of them still matter, because they tend to matter in the grand scheme of life.

New “Areas of Focus” for 2025

CREATIVE REBRANDING & RELAUNCHING – I intend to rebrand my website! Change the logo, the title, and simplify my heart’s mission. “AlexZenDraw” is cute and clever, but I want to rebrand it in a way, that encompasses something bigger. Something that speaks to the hearts of my intended audience. Most people who consume entertainment don’t really know the artist, behind the art. I want my art to speak to others, in a way that’s timeless. I also want to relaunch a new YouTube channel. I believe I shared some reasons for deleting it, in a previous blog posting.
COMMUNITY – I think community is something our world really needs right now. As a socially awkward art nerd, it historically hasn’t been easy to connect with other people (including artists), outside of an online circle. For 2025, I would like to be more intentional, about being part of a community circle. Particularly three kinds of community: a creative community, church discipleship among a group of peers, and my God-given community (aka: whatever geographical area God has placed me). As much as I appreciate technology, there is something so deeply satisfying about being around other people. People who have it in their hearts to uplift, encourage, and contribute.
EMPLOYMENT – Since 2024 was a whole year pretty much dedicated to fixing my overall health, I am determined to find a source of steady income, in the year 2025. With my kind of personality, I don’t enjoy being idle. Being “idle” wasn’t exactly a choice in 2024, so I’m determined to make that different in 2025. This is an area of focus I particularly don’t want to “rush into,” simply because I am still getting to know my own mental & physical limitations.
FINANCIAL ORGANIZATION – My hidden weakness is being able to MAKE money, but not be natural at managing it effectively. God has put it in my heart lately to “make friends” with numbers. Money has always somewhat felt like an abstract concept, rather than something that is “real life.” I dunno, perhaps it’s the way my mind works…

I hope this about sums it up! Please always free to reach out via email, for a word of encouragement/prayer anytime! Or even send some artwork, of any of the Space Grind characters 😀 God bless your support, dear Reader!