CIM406 Blog Post 2+: Reflection 2

Hi guys!
This is Week 2… again!

*EDITED* Just added a video at the end so you guys can see my inquiry piece! Not complex or pretty, but a way for me to dig into exactly how difficult it would be to integrate and create game ready language mechanics.

My lecturer requested that I come at this assignment from a different angle, so here is my new Self Reflection. You can find the latest piece at https://drive.google.com/open?id=18TJBNLiQcDkEz3r4zP371DY-yzIvQ_8I
This piece is less of a game, more a stark portrayal of who I am.
In the centre, the closest I could get to portraying myself in 3D. Couldn’t get a beard going with Morph3D (Morph 3D, 2018) so bare faced, which annoys me more than it should. Heavier than your average joe, short-ish brown hair. I like to dress plain, generally in blacks. Glasses on my face, because my eyes have everything under the sun wrong with them. Long sighted, lazy eye, a stigmatism. Worn slightly too low because if I need to focus on things I look over the top.
At my feet and surrounding me are all the main foci of my life. To my right, my computer (or a close enough reproduction). I spend enough time in front of this thing that it has become integral to my identity. Do a thousand small improvements to something, and you come to feel like it’s a part of you. From performance, to useability, to security. I have made my computer an extension of my creativity, with every facet tailored to my own creative process. My computer is where I first develop my ideas, where I begin to mould them and where I finally transform them into my art.
On my left, a guitar. My family are all introduced to musical instruments early in our life. For me, around Year 5 (10 years old). My sisters played flute and clarinet. My ears probably have permanent damage from the clarinet. Music has always been a large part of my identity. I have never been particularly skilled at guitar playing, or music composition, but there is music for every emotion. If I wanted to savour a feeling, you find the music for it. If you want to induce a different feeling, you find that music. I have a set of epic orchestral dubstep pieces that always make me feel energized and self-improve-y (the feeling you get at 1:00am where you want to go learn or exercise or reform your ways). I recently began teaching my girlfriend the guitar, and that too has been an experience!
In front of me, books. When I was young, I devoured books. By the time I had reached 12 years old, I had finished my school library, and half of the town library. I love epic high-concept fantasy. David Eddings, Raymond E Fiest, David Gemmell, Robert Jordan. And lately, Brandon Sanderson. Stormlight Archives everyone. They are literally the best ever. Reading was a large part of my identity construction when I was younger, and to this day. I learned morals from Druss and self confidence from The Magician. I learnt how morality can be twisted from Way of Kings, and Kaladin’s battle with honour vs necessity.
In front, a cat. I’m a cat person. Dogs give unconditional love, and I can see the attraction. But if a cat loves you, you earned it. Also, cats are self-sufficient, and just need feeding and pooper scooping. They are amazing companions, etc. Enough about how awesome cats are. Animals as a whole are a large part of my life. I have always had at least 2-3 in my house. It broke my heart when I came to Perth and stayed in a series of no-pets apartment complexes. I am moving to a new house (tomorrow!) which allows all pets! Guess who’s getting a kitten ?
Im sure you noticed a kind of outlier behind me. That is, in fact, a dragon. As I mentioned above, I love the classics, but Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance series (known for its first book “Eragon”) captured me. I quite simply love dragons. Not sexually (no matter how much my friends joke about my dragon fetish). I love the vast array of concepts that are contained within dragons. The science, the magic, the power, the wisdom, the recklessness. Thus, I love to integrate them into my stories, and my games. If you were expecting a dragon-less Eternal Ember, you will be disappointed!
 
This is a quick reflection of my life, and there are some events that profoundly impacted my development that I do not wish to air publicly. However, I do wish to speak quickly about how the above have impacted my creativity.
As you may have guessed, I was an introverted child. Head in a book consistently, or in my room playing guitar. When I got my first game console, this just compounded! I learnt the skills every introvert learns. To self-amuse, to enjoy my solitude. And while I was reading, I came to want to tell stories. While I was gaming, I wanted to know why I felt this sense of flow. While playing guitar, I wanted to make my own music. This led to me seeking a career in writing, which I did not really click with, and then finally, a career in Game Development. As I have aged, I have grown, and I am no longer a true introvert. My psych friend calls me a mezovert, or an ambivert (Definition of Ambivert by Merriam Webster, 2018). I have traits of both an introvert and an extrovert, but I will always be influenced by the drive to create that bloomed in my youth. When I create, I focus on telling a story; of progression, of choice and of trials. My games contain elements from all areas of my life, and thus become a product of them. During his Ted X Talk, Taika Waititi talks about his childhood and how his actions then have affected his creativity now. “I find that creativity is best when seen through the lens of a child’s eye” (Waititi, 2018). I believe that this is true, and while I accept that I have grown, it does help to see things from multiple perspectives.
I hope you enjoyed this look into my life, and how it affects me creatively!
 
Peter Carey
 
ReferencesDefinition of Ambivert by Merriam Webster. (2018). Retrieved from Merriam Webset: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ambivert
Morph 3D. (2018). Morph Character System. Retrieved from https://www.morph3d.com/morph-character-system
Waititi, T. (2018). The Art of Creativity. Retrieved from Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL71KhNmnls