Hashtag Threading The Needle

This post is probably going to be a shorter one--sorry 'bout it. I know I don't post often anymore, but I'm busier now than I was in the summer when I started this. Really, this post is almost an open letter to all of my friends and acquaintances. There's something I want to say to all of you that is hard to say to each individual in person. Don't worry, it's not a bad thing.

I like telling people how I feel about them. If you talk to me on a regular basis, I've probably told you how much I appreciate you for being in my life and being awesome for that specific reason I found you awesome that day. This is easy to do for me. I find it easy to tell someone that I appreciate them, and I still feel like I want to do it more often, but I don't want it to lose its meaning. It would be extremely ironic for the word "appreciate" to depreciate in meaning.

It's easy to tell someone that you like the relationship you have with them. It's easy to say that you like where you are and that, while you'd obviously always welcome positive change, you would be totally fine if things were like this with them forever. What's hard is telling someone that you don't like the relationship you have with them--telling them that you wish you could be more open with each other or that you talked more often--especially when circumstances don't really allow any sort of change in the direction you wish.

So here's me, saying to everyone that I have a few relationships in my life that I want to improve. Who doesn't, right? I would tell you outright if I could, and maybe I have but haven't expressed it completely. There are certainly those people I have no idea how to approach--no matter how much I want to. I'm sorry I've kept quiet to them--it's just sometimes hard for me to tell if they appreciate having me around as much as I appreciate having them in my life. I guess really what I'm asking here is for them to let me know.

I'm a social person. I enjoy making friends and learning about their lives and supporting them when and if they need it. People that I feel like I click with will always be a priority to me, so I just want you all to know that. Yes, I've got a lot on my plate. Yes, I appreciate having people to talk to regardless of this fact. Actually, I feel that I need breaks sometimes when no one is available to chat with, and that honestly sucks--especially when there are people available to talk to that I have literally no clue how to start a conversation with. So yeah. If you want me to be comfortable talking to you, show me that you're willing to help me achieve that level of comfort--otherwise I will continue to let things be left unsaid and leave you be. I'm assuming if you got this far that you actually care what I have to say, so know this: I'm willing to mend ties, but I need help threading the needle, you know? I think you get it. I'll be around if you ever want to talk.

--J

Hashtag Sensory Overload

I may be a programmer, but I still consider myself an artistic person. Everything I do, regardless of the inherent rigidity of the framework I'm confined to, I try to do as deliberately and artistically as possible. I make my code elegantly modular; I choose my words carefully and skillfully when writing; I focus on creating a multifaceted experience for my players when I'm wearing my designer's cap. It's all about deeper meaning--subtle complexities that may go unnoticed by many, but appreciated by the few who think similarly to the way I do. I appreciate the little things--every bit of polish that took just one extra moment to perfect, but yet makes all the difference.

I use this metric to separate the good games from the great games--FTL: Advanced Edition, for instance, had so many things that were done right. The developers added new systems and subsystems that further evolve gameplay, as well as made pre-existing gameplay elements even better. Allowing the player to save the crew's stations and send them back to those positions with the touch of a button was a glorious addition to the game, even though it was probably incredibly easy to implement. And making it so that players can easily tell what rooms they'll end up damaging with beam weapons by simply highlighting those rooms? Genius.

But you all already knew how much I appreciate elements of games that were well-executed--at least, I would hope that you do, seeing as that tendency is a crucial part of my game developer's lens. What I wanted to talk about aside from all of the usual "I really love [game] because [reason]" is the kind of art I appreciate--and I use the term "art" loosely here, because some of what I'm about to talk about isn't necessarily even art by the strictest definition, but I believe it can be appreciated as such.

First off, music. We all like music, though some of us have a wider variety of preferences than others. I've noticed lately that I really enjoy music that completely envelops me in sound. I like a loud bass, lots of background synth tracks that you might not even realize are there unless you're listening closely, and rich, full chords. Harmonic ostinatos are encouraged, of course, as they provide for very interesting pieces, but all that really matters to me is that there is always an instrument playing--with the exception of deliberate grand pauses right before the drop.

I've come to realize that this sensory overload would be an appreciated form of spectacle for a lot more than just music, but music is the most successful at pulling it off amongst the things I've experienced so far. The reason I like it so much is probably because it is inherently complex with the same, often-unnoticed subtleties that I appreciate in just about everything else. The result is a whole spectrum of simultaneous experience that leaves the mind reeling in wonderment and awe, seeking to branch out into all the directions that suddenly seem possible. Needless to say, this really gets my creative juices flowing.

To describe the way it feels in one word, I'd have to use the term "magical"--though it does seem a little bit cliché. But you really have to agree that music is essentially magic in how it has the ability to make us experience such a wide spectrum of emotion--even though it's essentially just well-organized noises and sounds.

But enough about music--I'd like to turn the attention of this post to the sky and the cosmos. The sheer power of the weather and the Earth itself is astounding to me, as well as the vastness of everything that lies beyond our small, blue planet. That feeling when there's thunder echoing off of the sky itself--again, being totally enveloped in sound--causes my mind to open up in a similar way to how I described earlier. I love to witness spectacles of nature, which is a trait I definitely got from my mother, who taught me to embrace every thunderstorm that passes through by watching and listening. More than anything, though, I would love to see the Aurora Borealis. I almost got the chance only days ago, but I was unable to see anything due to the geomagnetic activity level being too low for it to be entirely visible from where I am. The idea of seeing the entire sky dance with color and illuminate the landscape just seems like an utterly humbling experience, however, and I want to witness it at least once in my life. To be enveloped in sound is one thing, but for myself and everything around me to be completely enveloped in a rainbow of colors--now that is an experience that's sure to make my creative mind run wild.

Hashtag Tangential Learning

I've realized that I've been throwing around the phrase "tangential learning" a lot lately--usually when I'm talking about my campers. It really is what I strive for as a counselor--and as a game designer. If you don't know what it means, here's a little explanation (if you know what it means already, feel free to skip this next paragraph. I won't be offended. Well... I won't be too offended. I mean, I won't really know, I guess. Only you will. Only you will be able to feel guilty about skipping over a part of this thing I've taken my time to write for no one else's sake but your own. No judgement, though. Seriously):

"Tangential learning" is a phrase that refers to the knowledge you gain from something indirectly which you seek out on your own time. It could be sparked by a class, a book, a game--anything, really. Doesn't even necessarily have to be educational. In fact, sometimes it's even cooler when it's not. All "tangential learning" means is that you, as a person, have found something intriguing enough to seek out more details about it during your leisure time. If you feel this way about something, it's likely that the information learned in this manner will be more memorable, because you care more about it and are taking your own initiative. You weren't forced to memorize flash cards or do practice problems--you took the time to fulfill a curiosity. This, however, makes it relatively hard to instigate tangential learning, which kind of blows. Alright, the people who skipped this paragraph are coming back now. Thank you guys for reading--those other guys are total jerks. Don't tell them I said so, though.

Oh, hey! Did you know that people with guilty consciences are more startled by loud noises? Well, now that we've got everyone together again, let's continue. The easiest way I can think of to incite tangential learning is to offer a link to (or the name of) a resource where a viewer/reader/student can find more information about a certain topic should it be of interest to them. The only way they would feel inclined to use this extra resource, however, is if they view the topic at hand as interesting. Therefore, the best way to inspire this kind of learning is to show your audience something cool to start with, and tell them "But wait, there's more!" or "But we don't have enough time to cover all of [insert subject here]." If they enjoy the small amount of knowledge you've already given them, they'll be more likely to seek knowledge on their own--and, lucky for our generation, we have a convenient source of boundless information at our disposal.

Now that I'm back at RPI, I'm realizing that I like tangential learning so much because I'm so very susceptible to it. Last year, I would look up etymologies of words that I found interesting. This year, I find myself pulling up new tabs during Introduction to Game Design to research tangential topics that Dr. Marc brings up. I've also realized that the reason I love Dr. Marc's classes is because he does bounce all over the place--he brings up unrelated topics and ties them into what we're talking about. And... well, sometimes he doesn't tie it all together. But it's still entertaining, and still makes me want to learn more--which, to me, is what being a teacher is all about. It's not about teaching your students useless crap that they won't even remember after the test, it's about making them want to learn about even more than what you teach them. My favorite teachers in high school and college alike understood this, which, naturally, is why they're my favorite teachers. Good on you guys. Our school system needs more people like you.