2025 Is Almost Over!! Here’s My Year in Review - What I Accomplished, What I Didn't, and Everything Inbetween
- AiTommy
- Dec 31, 2025
- 7 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Hi guys! It's me, AiTommy✨️
We’re down to the last day of 2025. If I had to describe this year in one word, it would be the year of anticipation.
In animation, anticipation is the preparatory movement that happens before a big action. When a character jumps, they crouch first. When there’s a large motion, there’s a small movement that comes before it, making the action feel smoother and more powerful.
I didn't plan it that way. But looking back, that’s exactly what it became.
There were things I achieved and things I didn’t. But overall, I truly feel this year was steady, productive, and meaningful!
So, let’s go through the goals I set at the beginning of the year and see how things turned out together!
Focus on Building an Engaging Community
Expanding the Art Course Community
Learn Live2D – This time, for real!
Complete 1–3 big animation projects using Live2D.
I send out a newsletter to my email subscribers once or twice a month.
Host several events on my Discord server.
Release new merch like shirts, mugs, and other print-on-demand items separate from my main shop.
Launch a couple-drawing class to help people draw dynamic and engaging couple scenes.
Post one reel per week consistently.
Publish 3–4 comic chapters, focusing mainly on PPGZA. I need to post BadxApple Chapter 3 in January for sure.
Commission and share games on my website to make it more interactive.
Stream weekly or bi-weekly on YouTube and connect more directly with all of you.
Focus on Building an Engaging Community — Achieved!
This was definitely a win!
My YouTube community has become the most active and alive out of all my platforms.
Posting videos and short content has been genuinely fun, and I feel more connected with everyone there.
Instagram is… okay. Partly because I don’t post there as often, and the platform has changed so much since its glory days. Still, I LOVE the Broadcast Channel feature! I can share my wips and announcement in the chat like Discord server.
In a time when social media is oversaturated, being able to communicate closely with people who are already interested in my work feels more meaningful than ever.
My Discord server also stayed active. Which is super nice. Not abandoned like I used to do... I’ve been sharing my favorite CSP assets, helpful websites, and chatting with members from time to time. I’d love to see more people join, though!
And then there's my website!
This year I put real effort into transforming it into a place people want to visit—not just a portfolio, but a hub with a blog, fan art, and other fun things. I plan to keep adding more content.
In a world where your social media account can disappear overnight, owning your own website is important. I wrote about this in a previous blog post, so feel free to check that out as well.
Expanding the Art Course Community — Achieved
I think this was mostly successful.
I provided feedback in Discord, discussed techniques, and encouraged students to share their work. The community feels more supportive and interactive than before.
Next year, I want to get to know my students better and help them grow even more. Eventually, I’d love to offer more one-on-one sessions, where I can guide each student closely, not just through pre-recorded lessons!
Learn Live2D — Not Achieved
Nope. Live2D and I are not compatible.
The workflow (rigging in one software, animating in another) just isn’t for me. Plus… the price tag. Subscription software is just... not it.
So, I switched to MOHO, an animation program I bought at this year's Black Friday. More on that in another video so stay tuned!
Complete 1–3 Big Animation Projects Using Live2D — Kind of Achieved
Did I make big projects? Hmmm... debatable.
But I did create several animations using Live2D, so I’ll count this as a soft win.
Here are the videos if you’re curious:
Send 1–2 Email Newsletters per Month — Achieved!
I’ve been fairly consistent! If I don’t have much to share, I send one email a month; when things get busy, I send two. I try to write emails that subscribers will actually enjoy reading—not just sales pitches.
When my book launch gets closer, the emails may include more announcements, but it’s still my responsibility to make sure they’re enjoyable for you. That’s the bar I want to keep holding myself to.
Subscribe to my newsletter!
Host Several Events on My Discord Server — Not Achieved
Events are hard! Planning them, running them takes real effort, and I think I need more people to help out.
But next year, I really want to hold a DTIYS challenge. I want to gift a signed book + merch for whoever creates an amazing Hocharlotte artwork or animation. Doesn’t that sound fun? I can’t wait to do it!!
Release New Merch (Shirts, Mugs, etc.) — Not Achieved
Time was the biggest obstacle… but so were external circumstances.
Due to changes in U.S. customs rules (thanks, President. Trump…), my shop on my website and Etsy shop became difficult to maintain. Ko-fi’s postcard tier had to go, and I wasn’t able to participate in Black Friday sales.
It was a chaotic year for small business owners like us.
But because of this; I realized I need to focus more on print-on-demand. POD isn’t affected much by tax changes, so it’s a more stable long-term option.
Launch a Couple-Drawing Class — Achieved!
YES! I finally launched my couple-drawing course using 3D models, and it was incredibly fun to make. Most of my art revolves around couples and ships, so this course felt natural to create.
With this, I’ve officially released all the full art courses I wanted to make. I don’t plan on creating new full-length courses for a while, but I may create mini-courses, especially for students who bought the main ones.
Post One Reel per Week — Achieved…?
Not perfect, but pretty consistent.I think once I learn MOHO properly, I’ll be able to produce content faster without drawing everything from scratch each time. Fingers crossed.
Publish 3–4 Comic Chapters — Kind of Achieved
If I hadn’t decided to publish a book, I’d probably have finished Chapter 5… but life happened.
Still, I released:
And that’s plenty. I’m happy with that.
Commission and Share Games on My Website — Not Achieved
I made some assets for the dress-up game, but not enough to commission the full project. Maybe next year, or maybe I’ll try to do more of it myself if possible.
Stream Weekly or Bi-Weekly — Somewhat Achieved
I streamed at least once a month, so I’m counting that. Weekly streams were unrealistic for me, but I tried.
In November and December, I had a breakthrough: I realized I don’t always need to screen-share.
I can stream while writing blog posts or podcast scripts, sharing that cozy “work time” with everyone. My goal isn’t to become a streamer; it’s to avoid wasting time doomscrolling and instead create intentional creative space.
I’m starting to recognize regular names in the chat too, which feels comforting.Maybe someday we’ll even hold organized events together.
okay, let's talk about things I achieved that weren't on my original 2025 goal list!
Attended My First Overseas Art Con + Met Fans in Person
In July, I traveled to Kuala Lumpur after being invited to collaborate with an artist I met through the PPGZ fandom. This was my first ever convention as aitommy.
Everything was new to me, but it was an incredible experience. Huge thanks to Nokun for inviting me, to Karl for driving me everywhere, and to Eric for organizing the event.
What surprised me the most was that I actually had fans in Malaysia! Many people there speak English, so maybe that helped. Meeting people face-to-face, handing them merch directly, hearing their excitement—it was unforgettable.
I wrote another blog post about this, so check it out if you’re curious. I’d love to attend again someday if time and finances allow.
Hit 200k on YouTube!
My YouTube channel grew explosively in 2024 and continues to grow steadily. It’s now the platform I focus on the most (besides my website).
Meanwhile… my Instagram follower count actually went down since 2023. But that’s okay! YouTube feels like a better fit for my current goals anyway.
All platforms have seen lower views, lower revenue, and fewer uploads this year, but that’s because I spent most of my creative time writing a novel instead of drawing or animating.
And I don’t regret that. I traded short-term gains for long-term goals.
I Started Writing a Novel
This is the biggest reason I achieved some goals and not others.
Around March, I suddenly thought:
“You know what? I want to write a novel.”
And that decision consumed the rest of my year.
I began seeing more posts from Japanese artists self-publishing their manga on Kindle. But since my comics are fan works, I couldn’t publish them commercially.
But a novel? I have tons of ideas sleeping in my mind already.
In Japan, self-published books are often associated with doujinshi sold at events. But overseas, self-publishing is completely normal and the infrastructure and knowledge are widely available.
Once I realized that, I’ve started researching the whole process and writing the actual novel, hiring editors, and slowly building toward publication.
Explaining the full process would take too long for one post, so I’ll save that for another blog or podcast!
A Year of Laying Stones, One by One
Looking back, this year felt like an even mix of good and bad things.
It was a year of building a foundation. There’s a line in my novel:
“Serving the crown was like laying the stones of a fortress—slow, deliberate, and unglamorous. True defense was built day by day, not won by a single swordstroke.”
When working on a big project, many of us (myself included) dream of magical shortcuts. A video going viral, a publisher discovering us, an illustration blowing up.
But virality is luck, not a strategy. And viral moments don’t build loyal fans on their own.
The real work is showing up consistently, posting character art, sharing stories, putting out work even when it doesn’t explode.
Next year, it’s finally time to show what I’ve been building.
I don’t know how it will go.I don’t know what “success” will look like for me yet. But I’m giving it everything I have.
How About You?
Did you reach your goals this year? If not, that’s okay. Reflect on what didn’t work, why it didn’t work, and how you can adjust moving forward.
Let’s set new goals together for next year.
I hope 2025 was meaningful for you.And I hope 2026 becomes an even brighter year.
Thank you, always, for being here. Have a great New Year and enjoy the holidays!
