So it has come once more.

The slowly dwindling sands of time for the year 2015 have begun, and soon the hourglass shall turn over again and begin the slow trickling of the same sands for the new year, 2016. As I write this journal, the final seconds, minutes, and hours of 2015 are moving inexorably to the end, to 12 AM and there shall the clock start once more for the new year. Thus, as the clock slowly creeps forward, I will reminisce about this past year.

First off, I shall say that 2015 has been one of my better years. In terms of personal life, few great physical advancements have occurred in the fields of personal health, finance, and life in general, but at the very least my life has remained relatively stable and in balance. In terms of family, I feel like I've established deeper bonds with my parents, my brother, my grandparents, and of course, my dogs. I feel love towards them and I feel calmer and more in control of myself than before. This is important in anyone's life, not only mine. Mentally speaking, I've made great bounds, at least according to my own knowledge. I've taken some courses in college that opened up my eyes to the behavior of the world, of people in general, and more importantly, myself. The lessons I've learned in these classes gave me much-needed answers to some questions that needed answering. What am I to do with my life? How can I succeed? Am I balance? What are my flaws? What drives me? What holds me back from growing and learning? These are a few of the questions that I've answered, and I feel content and whole in having answered them.

2015 is also a year where I acknowledged that I am on a journey, a journey of life. Before this, I was far more insular, isolated, and cut off from the world, preferring to remain alone and lonely in my own little world. This type of mindset dominated my adolescence and the early part of my 20s, until I finally broke through and made self-realizations that have led me to the conclusion that I have a life to live, a future to look forward to. That's one big part of the drive that keeps me going. 2015 is also significant because it signals the end of my first five years of young adulthood. Now I'm 26, so I have another five years before I enter my thirties. In that time, I intend to complete my education, find a successful and interesting career to both work and enjoy in, become attached to someone who I will love, continue to explore the world -both by computer and the real world- and keep on learning, and of course, keep going with my artwork. This is what I intend to do for the next few years, starting tomorrow in 2016.

Now we come to the big part of this journal: my art. In terms of art, 2015 has been one of my best years. I've created so many excellent artworks, submitted dozens of writings and photographs, and more importantly, greatly improved in my art skills. While my previous years of artworks were quite excellent in terms of design and detail, this year has served as the catapult to a new phase in my artistic skill. I feel that I've gotten better in drawing shapes, figures, and expressions, as well as poses and positioning. I also feel that I've begun a new line of artworks that don't involve anything military or individuals, but simply true expressions of art. Also, because I have more experience as an artist this year, I can see the flaws of my earlier drawings and the improvements of my new ones. And like I said, this life is a journey, and that includes the further improvement of my art. Expect a whole lot of submissions in this new year, my friends. I intend to get a whole lot done in 2016.

And so, in conclusion, I wish to say thanks. Thanks to DeviantArt for simply existing and for permitting me to display my creations here. Thanks to all the fellow deviants who have seen, commented, and faved my artworks and other creations. Thanks to my host of watchers who continue to see my work and admire it, and within that noble host of dedicated artists, writers, and photographers, thanks to my most loyal and devoted of watchers. My heartfelt thanks and gratitude go to you most of all.

Now I shall say farewell to 2015, for it was an excellent year for me personally. I hope, wish, and pray that the new year will be one of great advancement not just for me, but for the whole world. I hope that the collective human consciousness can keep on growing and develop so that we can advance both as a species and a society. I pray that all the suffering in the world can slowly but surely lessen, and I will contribute however I can to create awareness and give some effort to promote it by means of my art. I pray that the coming year of 2016 will be a great one for everybody, though I'm no ignorant fool to the hardships and sufferings that occur daily in the world. All I, and for that matter, we can do is to promote awareness and make numerous small actions of kindness and altruism that will grow into great tides of love and compassion for the world. To quote the noble Gandalf the Grey (from the Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey), "(he) believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I have found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay... simple acts of kindness and love." This is the best way that I can convey my hopes for 2016, that it will be a better year than the last.

So do I say goodbye to the old year, to all its past events and experiences, to all the lessons I've learned and remembered, and so do I say......................HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!