It's been 5 years since I actually did anything at all on ChickenSmoothie, aside from the occasional drop in to check on my pets, stalk old forums, reminisce. It's been a wild 5 years.
I'd like to start by saying I wanted to do this sort of, 5-years-update thing by redrawing the last thing I drew in Oekaki (It's called Dan of the Desert, if you'd like to go see it!). I thought, "I'll blow them all away with how much I've improved!". WRONG, hahaha! Turns out, I completely forgot how to use Oekaki and this was the best I could come up with. I honestly think the drawing this is based off is better, even 5 years later! Oh well, I think it puts things in perspective.
So, 5 years, huh? 2015 was the last time I posted anything on CS at all, and probably the very last time I logged on in any meaningful way. At that point in my life, life was really hard, and I guess...I outgrew this site - not in a, "oh it's for kids" way, because have you met me? Child at heart. It was more that I outgrew it in a, "my life's going down a different path now", and I unknowingly grew apart from this site.
Thanks to all the crazy things that have been happening, not just these recent months but my whole 5 year absence, I decided to look back at all the things I loved doing when I was younger; reading old books, playing old video games, going back to websites I hadn't been on in years.
Chicken Smoothie made such an impact on my life. Even for only the 4/5 years I was on it.
CS taught me how to draw. This was the first place I ever learned how to draw digitally, and although the picture above isn't much to look at, it set the basis for me to become somebody who's able to make art that I love and enjoy.
CS instilled in me the love of writing. I had no idea what roleplaying was before I got on here. I'd always loved reading stories, and eh, I sort of cared about writing, but getting into roleplaying gave me constant prompts to write and the ability to be part of an ever evolving story, and I think that lit a match of love for writing. I write all the time now, and look fondly back at this place as the place I learned it.
CS was a huge comfort in those years of my life that weren't so great. I was on this site when life was really hard, and it was so wonderful to have something to dive into when life's just a mess and you just need to be away from it all. Thanks for looking after me, CS.
CS gave me loads of friends! You know, I do remember you all, even though we haven't spoken in YEARS. I still think about you. I still wonder what [insert username here] is up to these days, or where [insert username here] is now, where you all are all these years later. I hope you're safe and loved.
This isn't a, "hey, I'm back!" post, but it's not a "goodbye forever" post, either. It's a, "I was bored one day and decided to do something I used to love (and never stopped loving, I guess)". I think that's all it has to be.
