In the Beginning, There Is the Designer (weekly readings)

The Art of Game Design 

A Book of Lenses

Jesse Schell

In the Beginning, There Is the Designer

So, welcome to my first post on my weekly readings, hopefully it will stay weekly. At first I was a little bit wary thinking "oh great, another English lesson that i have to find a way to bunk." but in fact what i was reading was so inspiring. 

Jesse puts it straight out there from the word go saying that 'would-be designers' get stuck in a catch-22 debating on whether they have what it takes to be a Games Designer and that many have confidence issues. I can so relate to that and I believe others can as well. Because it is quite scary and i do have confidence issues which i do need to rise above.

I very much like how it is written as if she was speaking to you in the same room giving you comforting advice and saying that there is nothing wrong with failure and that it brings you closer to your goals and dreams. 

She doesn't shy away to assure you that you can't become a game designer just like that. It takes a lot of work, and involves many sets of skills such as Animation, Architecture, Brainstorming, Creative Writing, Engineering and Management just to name a few. But no one can master all of these and no one is expected to. These are skills you pick up along the way and are a part of the whole learning process. 

There is another skill, an important one. Listening. Not just listening but actually listening, feeling how they feel, putting yourself where they are and observing everything around you, 'Thoughtful listening'.

She expresses it in 5 Kinds of Listening. Listening to your Team which is crucial for making important game decisions,  Audience because they will be the ones playing the game, the Game itself, your Client and yourself. The last one hit me the most, I think that's very true how it's important to listen to yourself which helps towards releasing your inner creativity and to build upon. 

The paragraph 'The Secret of the Gifted' was the most inspiring. "How can love of using a skill be more important than the skill itself? It is for this simple reason: If you have the major gift, the love of designing games, you will design games using whatever limited skills you have. And you will keep doing it." These words are powerful and true. I've had experiences in all sorts of working environments, Hospitality, Metal works, web design, which I've learned skills and become good at but I never had the Love or Passion for it to keep it going. It's the love of the work which opens you up and shines your creativeness. 

Soo, how to wrap this up.. I should probably read more often because this was very inspiring and has personally helped me with fears and pressure from wanting to do so well, not just now but what my future lies before me. I love Jesse's writing style it really immerses the reader and I personally like an informal kind of read. 

Thanks for reading, time for some Family Guy i think! :)