Future for Aphex Collective

Hi everyone! I hope your day is going well. I wanted to make a post about my current situation involving Aphex Collective and myself, so I apologize if this is a little long or not constructed well.  This post wont be about any immediate mechanical changes or important info on how the game works, so you are free to skip or skim it!

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As some of you may know I was accepted into a full-time graphic designer role back in July last year and it was great! I really enjoyed working with the very thing I did everyday, just in a different medium. I was hired as a junior, and as the months passed I implemented new systems to improve the workflow, worked on their website and much more because I enjoyed it. Since I was giving my 100% I was only given more work that didnt fit my job description, and eventually it wore me down. Designing 8+ hours a day, 5 days a week left me exhausted mentally. It was difficult to improve AC (Aphex Collective) let alone even draw. It wasnt that I had no time, since the time i did have I spent on coding the website or working on updated sheets, but I knew I wanted to get more done. The events and interactive stories, adopts and artworks even for myself seems like a goal I just couldnt motivate myself to do anymore.

It was building up over time, the stress of a small team relying on me to perform at my maximum as a junior (Even if I wasnt really acting as so), and the stress of wanting to offer content to the amazing people that have supported and are still supporting me. It broke my heart that I couldnt seem to manage both and keep a healthy lifestyle and such my mental and physical health nose dived in the last few months. I couldnt understand why I wasnt happy, that the games I enjoyed make me so upset to play, that drawing was so sparse in my everday life when I used to draw everyday for hours. Only the last few weeks could I put it together that my job wasnt working with my goals, so I talked to those around for advice and it became clear what the issue was.

I love working on AC so much that this job was taking away my time and energy to fulfil someone else's dream that I couldnt focus on my own. It feels selfish to think about, but I am reminded to focus on myself and that its okay to want things for yourself, after all "its just a job". To others it makes sense, but as a small team doing amazing things I felt responsible that if I just dropped everything and left that it would implode and they wouldnt be able to function. That stress of being relied upon really messed with me, but I finally took a stand yesterday and called in for my mental health. I had a meeting with my boss an hour later to discuss the issues and why things were not working.

We had come to an understanding that 3 days a week is my preferred time, and I can be flexible but I need to focus on myself and my dream. I can not say if this is going to work yet or not, as we will draft a new contract on Monday, but seeing my JUNIOR contract expired in October I see no issue for them to work something out. This would mean I have 4 days of the week min to focus on myself and AC once again. If i can make this contract work I will be ecstatic, I know going to fulltime artist is too much of a jump for me, but half-half I think is possible. I wouldnt even be thinking about this split time without my supporters that have stuck through this rough time with little to not content, so to the bottom of my heart I thank you all in earnest. I want to provide the experience I promised, and to offer the content I have had planned for so long.

I apologize for the long post, but I hope it may help understanding what I have gone through the last few months and why things may feel slow. If i can work 4 days a week on AC, there will be many changes as we transition to a game, but I am excited to go through them all with you!