Happy New Year! ✨

Hey family, Happy New Year! 💛🥳✨

As we kick off 2025, I want to take a moment to reflect, catch you up, and most importantly, say thank you. It has been a canon moment of a year. From working with Dark & Lovely to bring you Play In Color to making Urban Homage with The Sims? Awards upon awards.. whew. (Here’s a fuller update on IG)

First, I want to sincerely apologise for not being as active here on Patreon in 2024. The year brought a lot of changes to my role within the community, and I found myself pulled in different directions. But through it all, your continued support has meant the absolute world to me, it always has and always will.

Because of your incredible support on Patreon, I’ve been able to do some truly amazing things this year —things that wouldn’t have been possible without you.

Your pledges helped me travel to Germany, where I delivered workshops to game developers on how to create authentic Black hair in games, opening doors for much-needed representation in the industry.

You’ve also enabled me to invest in tools and software that streamline the work I do, from consultations with studios to creating content for the community. These tools have allowed me to save time, work more efficiently, and focus on projects that truly make an impact.

And, honestly, your support has kept me going through the quieter months when income from other sources wasn’t as steady. It’s given me the peace of mind to keep pushing forward, even during tough times, and focus on what matters most: creating, educating, and advocating for better representation in gaming.

Beyond the tangible things, your support has been a constant reminder that the work I do matters—not just to me, but to all of you — you’ve been my foundation, and I can’t thank you enough.

Last year also brought some personal challenges. I was diagnosed with ADHD in April, and it’s been eye-opening to understand how it’s affected me my whole life—my motivation, my ability to start projects, and how easily I get overwhelmed. On top of that, I’ve been dealing with creative burnout and some major health complications. (Let’s just say back, neck, shoulder and wrist pain has reminded me I’m not a spring chicken anymore! 😂) All of this has made it harder to sit and model for hours like I used to.

However, with your continued support I’ve been able to make changes to my workspace to accommodate my back issues and ADHD—things like ergonomic seating, equipment to reduce sensory overwhelm, and time-saving tools that keep me productive while taking care of my health.

But as I enter my 10TH YEAR (WHEWWWW 😮‍💨) of creating content, I’m excited to shift gears a little. While I’ll still be making custom content—because I love it and it’s my creative outlet—I want to focus more on using Patreon as a space to educate. Your pledges have supported my ability to learn and grow, attending conferences and gaining new skills to improve the resources I share with all of you.

(I kicked this off with a Skillshare collaboration last year, where you can learn how to design your own nails in Blender and get a free month with Skillshare 💅🏾!)

This year, I’ll be focusing on sharing knowledge and tips to help you create your own tools to tell your stories. I have a workshop coming in February, and 1:1 slots will be available mid/end of January. I’ll share more details soon, but I’m thrilled to bring you along on this journey.

To everyone who stuck with me through 2024, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your support hasn’t gone to waste—it’s been the foundation for everything I’ve achieved and everything I’m building toward. Your support isn’t just financial—it’s the reason I’ve been able to make a meaningful impact in the industry and our community. Every pledge has helped me push boundaries, create more opportunities, and fight for the representation we deserve in gaming.

I hope you’ll continue to support me as I step into this milestone year, because there’s so much more to come, and I can’t wait to involve you in it. I will ensure I provide you with more consistent updates moving forward.

Here’s to 2025 and celebrating a decade of creativity together. Let’s make it unforgettable.

- Dani 💛