007 : MIND
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
Welcome, new and old!
Here's what happened since the last update:
completed my first satisfactory game design concept, revised the existing, in-engine scripting/programming for the controls and movement, and made basic preparations to start adding the other, necessary systems (abilities, health, damage, etc.)
outlined 8 out of 16, definitive versions of the worksheets and drafted the contents of 3 of them
researched into "infographics" and made a shortlist of all 18 I plan on making
dropped two more episodes of mannequin lady
What have we learned?
How will we move forward?
Let's see!
Show and Tell
Yes, I am working on a game. The video series is one of the ways I'm developing the skills I'm going to need to put all of it together. Sure as heck isn't helping me understand building out game logic, but I'm getting there.
(made sure it's the right link this time, don't worry.)
I'll reveal more about it as the months and years pass. If I start talking about it now, this email will end up as a short novel whose details may not perfectly align to whatever it would be in the future.
It's is a concept I've been mulling over for a few years. It's been a cycle of hashing out a world, developing some degree of comfort with how I think the aesthetics will be, developing confidence in how I think the game mechanics will play out, putting together yet another iteration of one story that I seemingly can't let go of, only to rebuild it all from scratch after being unable to see how the player could maneuver through the levels and not have it feel awkward.
Ultimately, the solution was to not really have levels and to keep the player mostly stationary.
(Yes, I know the preview above is not at all reflecting a stationary player, but we'll get there.)
Anyway, the basic movement and controls have been there for well over a year at this point. Maybe more, can't remember. Wasn't particularly difficult to do that, but it's good to see it finally advancing. And advancement is driven by a metric unlikely to curb my motivation! The number of tutorials can I stomach hammering into my head and subsequently jury-rigging.
We're on our way.
Reflections
Mental resilience is a technical skill. And it cultivates a "durable" and/or "pliable" mind. Durable could be one that blocks out things that could change it, creating hard lines and demarcations of what is and isn't allowed to fester in the mind. Pliable ones may take in almost any new information, but treats it all with a grain of salt and may employ any of it where it fits best. With all these things being on equal footing, nothing particularly insidious may comes to take root in the mind.
Moving from the joy of one project to the drudgery a less interesting one. It's nothing most people look forward to. To make the transition slightly less painful, consider adding something humorous into the mix of drudgery. And if it's a creative project you're working on, it might even spark you to put it out there in the first place.
There comes a point where you evolve beyond the need of constant inspiration and motivation. Watching or listening to people tell you how to "evolve or work as a creative" can often feel like you're regressing or even keep you in a cycle of regressing. If you consume things mostly for beginners, or for people looking to get started when you've already begun and gotten started, you're constantly bringing yourself down to that level. As you advance, so must the things that aid you in your journey and process.
Sometimes you just need to sit down and learn. It's very easy to get ahead of yourself, getting just enough knowledge of the work, the skill, and your preferences to want to try and hash out your own solutions to things. But in trying to do so, you realize your lack of foundational knowledge. Watch the tutorial. Take the lesson. Follow it all to the letter. Repeat it a few times. Then you'll be ready to implement exactly what you want.
Parting questions for your own reflection:
Do you want your mind to be more durable or pliable? Are you easily swayed by other's opinions? Do you think it's a bad thing? Are you resistant to change, to a fault? How do you think these traits are affecting your life and the things you make?
Where do you think you are in your creative journey? The beginning? The end? What are you watching and reading to help you move toward the next thing? Are you outgrowing it?
Don't you hate it when you see the same ad over and over and over again? I know I do. Can't stomach it. Wouldn't it be interesting if an ad could actually be a timeless work of art? Maybe art in itself is the ultimate advertisement. Makes me wonder if I should just drop some brief philosophical diatribe here in the ad section and then abruptly pivot into an ad. Might continue the "art as advertisement" thought in the next update in this very section. It is interesting food for thought.
Anyway.
Want to know what I've been doing for a living these past few years?
Making things for other people.
These are just a few examples of custom-made pieces, all personalized, and most importantly, hand-crafted.
You'll be asked five questions to assess your personal values.Your answers will be used to create a thematic story.And your story will take the form of an illustration in the style seen above.
Have ideas and want to get started?
Let's see what we can make.
That's all I have for you today.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Next update on the 21st, barring emergencies.
Until then,
👋