Hey all,

WHAT I DID:

• Joined a 12 Step Group for sex addiction
• Obtained a sponsor from a really rigid group
• Shut down my Patreon and deleted porn related accounts
• Had 3 weeks of "sobriety" (no porn, no masturbation, no lust)
• Felt connected with a higher power
• However, had an extremely hard time filling my free time without creative work or usual triggers (video games/youtube)
• Knew the relapse was inevitable, as people within the program had talked about
• "Relapsed" and honestly, it was amazing
• Decided I wasn't ready to quit forever, as 12 step groups are not for "those that wish to use their drug of choice in moderation"
• Was able to keep frequency of use relatively low (days between) and still managing moderate use
• Went and saw "Dune" in theatre's and LOVED it! Especially since playing David Goujard's NSFW game "Behind the Dune"
• Played SpiralVortexPlay's "Umichan Sorani"
• Those two games made me long for creative work again
• So now I'm back

SUGGESTIONS (PREACHING):

There's a few things I do want to say about addiction and moderation for those that might be seeking it. If you're good where you're at, you can skip this section. If you're seeking sobriety, give it a shot. If you're on the fence and haven't tried it before, I would highly suggest getting 3+ weeks of "sobriety" under your belt. If for no other reason than the fact that when you come back, it feels amazing. More significantly than that however, it does provide some clarity around the aspects of your life that need improvement. For me, it was all the small things: cleaning my house, doing errands, even feeding myself for fuck's sake.

From now on, I'm reminded of the acronym HALT: Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired. Addicts of all sorts tent to use their drug of choice when they are feeling these emotions/sensations. If these are things that you're feeling, you may want to consider addressing these four sensations before using.

THE PLAN:

PERSONAL:

• moderation

PATREON:

• I don't plan on returning to Patreon for the near future
• I am grateful to everyone that supported me there
• Weekly updates can be difficult to keep up with, especially with a full time job
• I wasn't able to produce what I wanted to produce, which made charging people feel icky (Fertile Grove 2)

GUMROAD:

• I'll be offering alternatives to Patreon, like Gumroad
• This will allow me to produce work at a pace that's more flexible
• You guy's can buy only work that you want to see
• You guy's can buy completed works, rather than WIPS, or hoping that I'm able to deliver at some point (again, Fertile Grove 2)
• All in all, this format gives me a better sense of autonomy, which is better for my ability to produce (at least for now)
• Here's my Gumroad page

THANK YOU:

Thank you to everyone that has supported me. People continued to follow me on Newgrounds and Twitter even after I left. I can't tell you what it feels like to have people appreciate your work.

Thank you!