Hi! I'm very glad that you clicked on this project. If you're a returning traveler, thank you for coming despite the one-year hiatus. I recently logged on here and suddenly realized that my "Moving" post did not include everything I wanted to say. So, here I am. I remember logging onto Scratch for the first time when I was in elementary school. My first account, @cs4277639, was actually created for school projects. But I gradually began to post stuff that wasn't just exclusively for class and for a grade. I enjoyed this platform, and I loved to code and see my imagination come to life. I know, the account is old and it might seem cringe, but I now view it as probably the account that saved the boredom I experienced during the early Covid-19 months. Somewhere along this journey in 2021, I was practicing piano in autumn. I happened to be craving pancakes with maple syrup. (I still love the sugary food combination) A lightbulb moment occurred. Hence the username MapleSugar was born. (I added the dashes in front and back of the name for extra "pizzazz") It was here that I gained my first "audience" of followers, a grand number of 230, which still amazes me to this day. During this time I was utterly obsessed with Countryhumans. Using this account, I made so many fellow Countryhuman friends here and joined into what was perhaps my first online community. It was using this account that I would post DITYS entries and even win some places in some art contests held by some really big names! (@potatobear616 and @berricake and @cherrei who are all probably as inactive as I am) I had genuine fun here, and I will never forget the times when I would draw and chat with some Scratch friends on Magma during the summertime. But having said all that, I must return to the present. I still do not plan on ever coming back to Scratch. Scratch used to be the platform for me where I had fun and could fully express my creativity. But, unfortunately, it no longer is. I've grown out of it and evolved. A lot has changed since I first started, created, and uploaded my first project on my first account. I've slowly disassociated myself from the Countryhumans community and slowly assimilated myself into more niche and small communities like the "Frev" (French Revolution). Though I wish for my age to be private, we can all safely assume that I've grown significantly not only in age but also in interests and maturity over these 4, online years. Seeing so many of the artists whom I once idolized slowly becoming inactive or eventually stop posting, as well as losing contact with most of my first online friends ever since leaving, it is impossible to not feel at least a bit sad and melancholic about also leaving Scratch behind while reminiscing the good times. After saying (typing) all this, what I wanted to say is, thank you. Thank you for sticking with me through these years, especially if you came from my old account. Thanks to all for the support on my projects that somehow even continue after my hiatus. And most importantly, thank you to my followers. I hope some of you guys at least see this, even though most of you have gone elsewhere to start another, fresh journey like I have. I could have not done this without you guys and your continuous support, whether it's a favorite, like, comment, or a remix. I also want to thank non-followers too, since you guys are honestly so kind and lovely whenever you do pass by. That's it. I think I've said it all. If any of you, by any chance, are curious about where I've been and what place/platform I've been continuing my journey on, please go down to the "Notes and Credits" down below.
Glad your back! I had, for the year I've been inactive, posted my Tumblr username in my profile description. But today, I decided to take it down. This is because I want to completely cut off and separate my journey instead of it all being linked (traced back) to one another. "Ashamed" is not the word I would describe my emotions and how I feel, but I think I should keep my user on the down low anyways. This is for many reasons. If you were to go to my Tumblr account, you would find it mostly occupied with historical posts and content that was not at all what I used to post here. I also want to create a clear division and alienate my accounts from each other to prevent misleading you guys into thinking that I still create the same/similar form of content for the same audience. But maybe, someday, I'll change my mind and come back some day to share my user with you guys again. Until then, I'm keeping my Tumblr a secret. There you have it. This is the end of my incessant rambling. Truly, I am grateful. I'm grateful for everything that Scratch has given me, and for all the people that made this account possible. Most notably I would like to credit @Karttiee for literally supporting me for the longest time since I created this account and whom I still am in contact with to this day. Couldn't thank you enough, mate and I'm glad you're still here. I also can't go without also shouting out @Xcu_ Out of all the account usernames you have been through though, @08JPD will always remain as my favorite. Though all your accounts may be dead, you are alive as ever in real life. Keep doing you my friend. The only reason this account still remains alive is for archival purposes. Sometimes I log in and see how far I've come in terms of art skill, and to see old projects that stayed in the files and never got to see the light of day (or the internet?). Sometimes I just come here to smile at the "good old times". But regardless, leaving Scratch is probably one of the best decisions I've made for many personal reasons. All good things need to end somewhere, and I suppose this is the end. This needed to end for good for a really long time. Here it is. I've spilled all of my heart into this project and I'm done. Please take care, and farewell Scratch! Thank you for making my current self possible. Signing off (I swear this is the final time), -MapleSugar-
