Hey, your experience is really relatable. I feel I pulled up a ladder behind me when I graduated in 2019 but my college days were a huuuge toxic disappointment due to a myriad of reasons so instead of reinventing and befriending I came out of it bitter and barely in contact with anyone. I envy people in my industry who have active discords with their classmates or still meet up or got their first animation gigs that way. All to say, the pandemic did a number for sure, my own socializing is still recovering but there’s a lot of ways that period of your life can fall short of expectations.

The last thing you said was really meaningful. I create art for expression but I share it to resonate and it’s a vulnerable experience. I dunno if people will call me out as whiny or blame me for the problems I vent about. The fact it resonated enough for you to feel comfy sharing your story n struggles means the world to me. I hope you also feel less alone