Tag: writing
Drawing : Overflowing with love!
Inspiration hunt
Inspiration has been hard for me to get hold of lately. I tried different ways to push me back into the momentum of the inspiration wave. I have also read different ways from article to article to help me open up the creative side of me.
I found that when I work on something harder and harder, my frustration increases and makes me stop being inspired. I start new drawings to relieve the frustrations then when I return to the drawing, I seem to lose the creative momentum and often give up as the new drawing overrides the past ones.
However, I read in one article, it mentions that being in the same environment can make one lose creative juices however, finding a new environment starts pushing new visuals.
During my recent holiday, because work was not on my mind for a week and a half, drawing stuff and being more creative about stuff began to flow naturally than forced. Forcing creative stuff just hurts my head a lot and I start rethinking whether drawing is what I want to do as a hobby.
I also read that spending only one hour a night doing something you love doing pushes one to create great things. But these “great things” aren’t to the full 100% extent of the creation as it feels forced than natural.
As I look at my drawings, I noticed that most of them consist of either frustration or sad types. Every time, I draw a smile, I seem to always rub it out and end up giving the character angry or sad emotion.
This definitely shows my emotion through life.
It is either work related or just life as a whole. It does not sound great however, when I release them on Social networks, I feel a slight relief upon how people either like or comment on it. There are people who mentions that they can relate which makes me feel better.
There was one drawing that was produced which consists of a smile and that one made me smile too!
The next few drawings I have produced I feel like the colours and emotions have been altered in such a way upon how I feel so I hope you enjoy them when they are released.
So I guess what I want to really push out to all you creative individuals is not to always be in the same place. If you feel like you are slowing down as a creative person, remember to get out of your comfort zone or the place you are “trying” to be creative and try work somewhere else to have a bit more of a view. It doesn’t have to be a holiday or somewhere magnificent… It could simply mean that you can go to a coffee shop (preferably one you have never been to) and work there. It seems rather simple but it helped me a lot to think out of the box.
What do you guys think? IF you guys have solutions to getting more creative, please leave a comment! I would love to get some new ideas to think creative!
Realization…
There are many things that I think about on a day to day basis but the one thing that really gets to me is the career path.
I spent a few years collecting experience and spending half of my life in an office and I felt like I was trapped. A place with high pressure just cannot make me think very well but more importantly, problem solving becomes harder! Solving problems does not feel as good as it used to and maybe the reason for that is the repetition of the same issues arises becoming nothing more but a chore.
I recently jumped into a new job where things are constantly changing, consistency is slowly integrating and unlocking new areas I have not experienced before… It feels like I am finally leveling up and it feels great.
One thing that I have felt confused about lately was mixing the hobby and work to improve my quality of life! So when I was thinking to become a games developer, I would have created the illusion of being excited to go to work everyday! It feels like it makes perfect sense… to me anyway.
However, there is a slight problem when trying merge a hobby with work…
The way I define a hobby is an activity that I like to do and it creates a nice distraction that allows me to escape the work environment. Work, on the other hand, brings an environment where things need to be done at a certain time generating a thing I like to call “unnecessary pressure”. The reason I call it this is because the pressure is pushed by someone else but does not benefit anyone else but the person who owns the company!
Getting the pressure from individuals who may not care about the project and only cares about the payslip makes the other begin to dislike the entire operation altogether. The way I see it is that if it is supposed to be something you enjoy, how could you truly love it if you are being pressured to do it?
Don’t get me wrong though, there are some areas that do not deal with this kind of pressure.
So with me, I am a web developer in the day but a games developer as my side quest. Web development is a broad area and it equally gives the same frustrations as a games developer but the key difference between the two is the fact that the development patterns are different which gives that extra challenge.
What I am trying to get at is that creating two environments for one thing you enjoy most and the other being a job is the ideal thing to do if you want to continue enjoying what you want to do…
It is not to say that jobs are boring but people are pressuring to finish things where you want to be perfect about… Jobs are also a place to learn! If you don’t learn something new in a job, you end up being bored.
For me, the way to really fix this is just to keep my games as personal projects and my web life as work. This keeps the game development as a stress-free environment.
Maybe this is not an ideal way for some people but I feel it is the right move for me. One way or another, I’m glad I have some sort of direction once again…
Quick update…
It has been a long while since I have written a blog post however, now that I have installed Evernote (http://www.evernote.com) on all my devices, I can finally share across all platforms so with this, I will probably write more posts…
So I want to start with my development progress since I have been hard at work recently. I have been working on securing a virtual server which I recently purchased from Linode.com. This is the first time I have ever used this and I spent quite a bit of time doing this. My aim is to use this virtual server to keep all my future developments here so I can monitor precisely what is going on. Although it does require a bit of technical knowledge to get around to places, but it was rather fun just getting to understand it. The server seems to be stabilised and now moving forward to creating my web servers onto it. I have 3 in total so I need to secure those. This server has the capability to do much more and I plan to use it to its full capacity!
So lets move onto movies… After a lot of waiting around, I finally sat down to watch the entire Fast & Furious collection (only the 5 movies… The 6th one is on hold until the DVD is released)… I think it was a good set of films but the fact that it was rather a messy transition between 1-3 but went back on the story at 4-5. But 2 was more of comedy and 3 was just a whole new story with new characters which rather put me off the whole collection altogether. In my opinion, I think the 5th was probably my favourite one.
Moving back a bit more, so I went out to purchase a tablet, Acer W700, and I need to put my opinion on this bit of kit. So this device holds an Intel i5 3rd gen processor, 4GB RAM and Intel HD 4000. The 11-inch screen grabs an impressive HD resolution with pixel perfect display. Nowadays, this tablet is my complete replacement of my Mac Mini and it accomplishes more or less my day to day activities on a computer. One downside I would probably mention is the heating and the noise that comes out when a bit of activity is being processed on the tablet… Besides this, I believe it can sit side by side with a low end laptop but just with the touch screen controls…
Finally, gaming… Resident Evil 6… The game I bought on the first day it came out and completed 2 campaigns but need to finish the last one. The game is pretty good with the storyline and all but one problem is the camera angles. It is very frustrating when the camera just moves around a lot and also, it is too close to the body that the bottom is not visible. If these issues were fixed, this may actually reach a 8/10 but unfortunately, I would give it a 7/10…
I hope to work more on my blog so I hope you enjoyed this one.
Withthegamers.com
There has been a project that I have been involved with in an upcoming website releasing a version shortly. The first version of the website will consist of the latest news in gaming and will keep you up to date with the upcoming events such as the long awaited E3!
Sign up to our newsletters at:
The site will be free to use and is available to anyone. We have some exciting ideas coming ahead so be sure to check the website often…
We are open to feedback as well so if you also have ideas, please let us know and we will be sure to note it down.
Thanks for the support…
Xbox One announced
So the Xbox One has been confirmed and from all the rumours spread before hand, it seems like the announcement did not reach the expectations of the viewers! In other words, it was over-hyped! Here is precisely what I think of the 1 hour presentation…
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| Image from mashable.com |
The name “Xbox One” felt as though they were going backwards… There was a big number “360” at the end of Xbox and now they want to minus 359 from it? I don’t know but to me, it feels like a downgrade to me.
The console itself was quite a bit of a disappointment to me. The style of it didn’t look so great and to be honest, the old one looks better. The Kinect (which now comes with the console) does look a little chunky and again, I’d prefer the old design. What makes up for my negativity is probably the controller. It looks more or less the same as the old one but a few changes but I guess for me, the controller made Xbox the right choice for me. Although it is not the best thing for beat em up games, it does accomplish other genre of gaming correctly. Seeing that the console and Kinect will be sitting in front of me, the controller is the vital importance of gaming here so all in all, its not so bad…
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| Image from Technobuffalo.com |
The presentation then moved onto living room activities. From what I gathered, they seem to want navigation through TV, movies, music and games easier just with a few simple voice commands. Also, they introduced Skype into the mix. It seems as though I was looking at the Windows 8 interface since the Skype call was taken on the side and had the ability to also watch Star Trek. But with Skype integration, that is what made it interesting. One thing I really loved about PC gaming was that I could video call on Skype with one monitor and play games on the other.
Then there was a brief overview with EA Sports, Quantum Break and Call of Duty: Ghosts. Of course I expected no game line up since they did specify before hand that the games will be announced at the E3 Expo. Quite honestly, EA Sports always deliver the same and expected games so to me, that is no surprise. Quantum Break was completely baffling! Although the story line of this game remains a mystery, it looks rather interesting. Finally, Call of Duty: Ghosts looks more or less the same as their previous games but the graphics are a touch better.
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| Image from Joystiq.com |
So the presentation leaves me with the following opinion. It wasn’t a full disappointment but the big point is that the Kinect will be sold with the Xbox One at launch which is a good thing. With the game line up coming up, there really isn’t much to say just yet but with Skype and TV integration, it makes the console worth having. The controller is also kept consistent which I don’t see a problem with.
So far, a 7/10 only because I want to see what games are coming out on launch and especially the price is one of the key factors I was waiting for… One other thing they did not announce is the specific day of release… Would be nice to know when to expect this bad boy…
Mistakes
Creating mistakes can be so easy… Some are plain obvious and some are hidden. Question is how do we know a mistake is coming? Let’s analyse…
Mistakes are made when a certain action is done but then it is followed with a judgement by either yourself or someone else right? So in that case, why do we allow ourselves to consider it a mistake?
We are our own worst enemy!
Some people say that they don’t live in regrets but truth be told, I think we all have one or more regrets if you analyse it carefully. But don’t let it destroy the person you spent building. Lying to yourself just means you’re living a life in denial.
Personally, I cannot sit and say I am a perfect person. I just feel as though there are people who are just so afraid in making that “mistake” which could be the very same opportunity that could make you a stronger person. If someone is telling you that you can’t do something, don’t let them take you down! It’s your life and even if you make that wrong turn, at least you tried.
I am still trying to learn this methodology. As days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months, I keep ending up in a spiral however, as I write this, I feel optimistic that I may just turn it all around in an instant… Nowadays, I use these mistakes to analyse why others judge them as mistakes.
I don’t know about you but I’d like to redefine that very definition to a positive meaning rather than that negative vibe… Easier said than done but if we are given second chances, then let’s change it!
I suppose what I am trying to get at with this post is that life is tough when people judge you and you are taken down from their comments when really, it doesn’t matter at all. Sometimes, they can be right but if you take all judgements to mind, it can take a big chunk of spirit from you!
Everyday is a day worth experiencing to its fullest…
Remember… Mistakes are allowed to be made because that is what defines you…
A look into my perspective…
It has been a while since I have wrote a personal log in regards to what I have been up to so I thought I would write it out. Mind you, there really is not much to put down but let’s go for it.
So Dead Island: Riptide finally came out and I got to play with my brothers. Seeing that we were playing in different timezones, one end were feeling tired and the other was wide awake… I was on the end of feeling exhausted but as we only played it once so far, it is enough to give out my opinion.
Dead Island takes place literally after the first game and to be honest, they did a good job in keeping it almost the same but it did feel a weeny bit slower. However, it was the first time playing on the Xbox version since I played on the PC in the last game so maybe that could be the difference? The characters were the same which made it feel like they made no effort and as my brother said, there really was no point in creating a whole new game for this as the models were the same and possibly the better graphics (a touch better…). But I think I’ve judged it too soon so until my next gaming session, that is where I may can give a full review upon it but so far, 6/10.
I started playing the guitar and it has given me a exhilarating feeling knowing that I have finally picked it up after letting it pick up so much dust! I am currently just looking over YouTube for tutorials and keeping it simple. It is hard for me to switch chords but I am getting used to it though.
As you’ve noticed, these are all home activities and to be honest, I have been at home most of the times to catch up on everything. Keeping a strong focus on projects is my main priority! But I will be changing my blog really soon. Keep a good look out for it.
Even if you put a little effort towards your projects, its better than no effort at all…
My days are beginning to become productive… I can see that when reading my post out loud, I feel a slight relief knowing that at least something is being done. It is not going as fast as I expect to do it but at least I am doing it.
This has been a very delayed blog post and I am hoping I will sit down to write more again. Things have been so difficult lately. Project development takes a big chunk of my time but will probably get back to it.
It’s important to stay focused…
Trapped Lifestyle
Ever wondered whether you are being forced to follow a line?
From experience, hearing others or myself complaining is where I have gathered a general opinion towards this matter. This post is not to fix this issue but more along the lines of pointing it out and in hopes that the universe will turn it around…
Lately, its been a zombie-like life. Maybe because its just the fact that I am working from a 9am – 6pm job, coming home and feeling drowsy to do anything else. Its strange but before, I could stay up until 3am, wake up and be ready for the next day. It has not been the same for quite some time… I even get a little annoyed with myself just for sleeping early!
What is this sudden eagerness in myself to try force to do something productive?
However, this is not just me... There are a few others who also suffer the same issue. But this all comes down to a simple thing called scheduling… Recently, I have felt a little stressed just trying to think what I need to do on a day to day basis and even though its only 7 items or so on the list, just the mere thought of it creates a stress ball in my head. But when I jot it all down on my notepad, it feels like that stress ball dissolves!
In my opinion, there is no quick way to step out of this line but my best solution is to prioritise yourself. It doesn’t sound hard but it really is what it is. For me, I just need to schedule my time towards the things that really matter to me.
But of course, the answer doesn’t lie in scheduling. An issue can also be the fact that others do not want to take risks but it means you need to be a little spontaneous. One thing that is worth watching and can be inspirational is Yes Man. However, watching this film didn’t mean that I changed my style immediately… It took me a while to jump into this field. Basically, I came to a point where I was stuck and wondered to myself what I should do next. Then a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to try out this club. I wasn’t much of a clubbing type so I almost said no to this occasion but it turned out I asked myself what do I really have to lose if I go? And with that question answered in my head, I replied with a positive YES! I think that when I did this, I opened my mind a bit and without any regrets, I am absolutely glad I did that. Just makes me want to do more.
I can’t speak for everyone but I can say that sometimes, you need to get out of your comfort zone in order to find out what you really enjoy!
Find yourself…