09/17/2022: Busy, Busy, Busy

Sorry for the long wait, readers. It's been a busy few days. My leg was in a great deal of pain for a while, since I didn't have any painkiller meds for a couple of days. Things are better now, but it was very much so the only thing on my mind for a while. But, nevermind that. We have a new reader! Howdy! Hopefully, I'll gather the courage to show the rest of my friends this site after a while, but it was nice to finally show at least one other person this place.

Let's Play Update

We've got a microphone on the way! It's a Razer Seiren Mini, which we've been told is a good starting microphone for a starting price of around $50. It should be here on 09/19, so it's possible that a few Let's Plays will come out by next weekend! I've also downloaded some programs to help with editing and finalizing the initial recordings. Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), OpenShot Blender, and Inkscape, all of which are open source and free, so others can join in the fun, too! The reason for these four programs is because they're open source, and because OpenShot has plugins for Blender and Inkscape, so we can more easily create 2D and 3D assets for the Let's Plays. Links to all of these are here, but will also be linked in an updated Let's Play section.

The Highs and Lows of Starting a Let's Play Series

I'll admit, I'm very nervous about starting a Let's Play. I feel like it could be a great deal of fun! I like playing video games, I like watching Let's Plays, and I love rambling on about lots of things. When we did a test run, I found myself actually entranced by our run; I was very much so my own target audience. I feel like it could also be a good way to get to know myself better. I'd be able to listen to myself as if I'm an outside observer, get to laugh at my own jokes, and hopefully learn to like myself more. Still, I don't like listening to myself on recording (almost no one does), and I'm worried about looking back on old recordings and seeing how bad they are. However, that (hopefully) just means that I'll get better with practice, and I'll know what all I needed to fix in the earlier works.

One thing that I'm excited about for this Let's Play series is that my partner has been wanting to start a Let's Play since he was in middle school. We both grew up on Game Grumps (that's actually how we met, in a way), and so he wanted to be able to take a crack at it. However, he didn't know much about how to set it up. He didn't have a capture card, didn't know what programs to use, didn't have a microphone, and didn't even know where to start. It became more of a pipe dream instead of something he could actually do. Fast forward to college, and he meets and then starts dating a tech wizard: me! By then, the idea had been long pushed out of the limelight, but never forgotten. So, when I suggest it off-hand, he agrees pretty readily, and as we get things more and more set up, the more excited he becomes! I love seeing him so passionate about something new, especially because I was hesitant or lukewarm at the beginning. It's nice that we're finding a new and exciting way to enjoy our hobbies and share time together.

I'm excited to create assets for our little adventure. I'm not much of a traditional artist, but I have experience with 3D animation and pixel art. It's just a matter of brainstorming what all we need and creating it. I'm looking forward to it! It's been a while since I've made pixel art, and it'll be nice to get back into it. Maybe it'll prove to be a new and exciting hobby instead of merely asset creation (which is still important). I used to make sprite comics when I was in Jr. High, and I had a great deal of fun with them! Making Sonic comics with cringe OCs and bad jokes was a great time for me, and it was a great creative outlet where I could express myself. Sure, it'll never be high art, but that's not what I was going for, anyway. I wanted to have fun with my favorite hedgehogs, and I sure did!

I think that that's the mindset that I need to have while starting this Let's Play series. It will not be perfect. Hell, it may not even be technically good, but it will be fun! That's the important thing when starting something new. I feel like I have gotten so in my own head about everything being perfect that I've scared myself out of trying new things.

"What's the point of drawing if I won't be good?"

"What's the point of writing stories if no one else will read them?"

I need to get out of that mindset and try something new! It'll be scary, but it'll be worth it. If you're in that mindset right now, let's learn how to let go and just have fun together! I can't promise it'll be easy, but it will be okay, and we'll have a better time because of it.

Today's Final Thoughts:

Your first attempt doesn't have to be perfect. That's something I'm struggling with, too. Even if it's rough around the edges, at least it exists. You can learn from your mistakes, sand and polish what you have, and make it something beautiful. In Japanese culture, there is the concept of Wabi-Sabi, which is a world view of appreciating the beauty in imperfection, incompleteness, and impermanence. The example that always comes to my mind is Kintsugi, or the practice of patching up dishware and pottery with gold or silver lacquer. It highlights the breaks, the imperfections, and it makes the piece truly unique. There will never be two pots with the same kintsugi, even if they came from the same oven from the same batch in the same arthouse. Love your imperfections, and strive to improve what you desire.