Hello! It has been a while!
I’ve been pretty busy mostly picking up freelance work when I can. I’ve made quite a few rigs the last few months and I’m so happy with how far I’ve come with being able to get these projects and executing them. I will say I’ve done more creature rigs with 4+ legs than I ever thought I would do and I’ve been having fun making them all because It’s a little different every time. I’ve gotten a bit faster but it still takes time.
another thing I’d like to mention is that I’ve stumbled headfirst into Game Development and also becoming founder of a multimedia/animation/gamedev group called NDE (Neurodivergent Entertainment). To say the least, it just kind of happened when I was in a meeting with my friend and other cofounder. I can’t say what exact words were but It probably went along the lines of “we’ve been doing these meetings for a while now and you’ve been here from day one”. which at this point its a verbal agreement but maybe will be something more. At this point in time I dont have it in me to figure all that out but we do have a Youtube and Twitter and Email.
But In addition to rigging and cultivating NDE, I’ve picked up unreal a bit! Learned a bit of blueprinting in and had some help with some wonderful friends I’ve asked to join us to create this short walkthrough video of a game we are trying to make.
It’s called (it’s) All In Your Head. A interactive Narrative game where you play as a young adult who is undiagnosed with the neurodevelopmental disorder ADHD. Stemming from the experience of both myself and my friend, Devin- we both were diagnosed late in life. It’s not finished yet because work on the game only happens when I, or two of my other team mates have time.
We finished up this first level as part of a global game jam hosted that was in May. Basically worked up to the last day but we were unable to finish. However we’re so attached to the idea that we’re going to keep working on it. Mechanics I’d like to implement next is the changing of time, and how the actions you take affect that. A lot of the time I end up with a bit of timeblindness. Not realizing that time has passed a lot when I’m working on something. I kind of get wrapped up with hyperfocusing on whatever it is I’m doing/working on so It’s kind of important to the main part of this game.
I’m still very much a novice when it comes to unreal – but if I’ve learned anything in the last six months of this year I very much can and will do whatever it takes to make what I want to make. There still a lot to do; but in my last meeting with the team we discussed new levels that offically makes this a 3 act story. And my goal is to release by October due to it being ADHD awareness month. So a lot to do before then!~ I have time and yet I don’t.
Also am expecting to start work on my mentorship’s circle animation short we are producing. I will be modeling, rigging, and probably animating. However for that group I find it’s not as necessary to finish the project as much as it is necessary to be meet with them and kind of socialize. Although me being who I am, I know I’m going to do my best to deliver a finished piece.
Oh finally I turned 30 at the end of April. I kind of didn’t have time to process it much although the first week of May I did have a mini existential crisis. Which is hard to not have due to the current state of the world. I’m torn between keep moving forward and just feeling it all. Then there is the matter of having work to do and having bills to pay. There is a thought in my head that says, “it’s going to bet better” but having the student loan debt hang over makes me wish I didn’t go to college but that’s its own story. So If the US ever actually forgives student loan debt I be incredibly surprised, because this country doesn’t actually inspire hopefulness for most people. And I happen to be a woman of color, LGBTQia, with adhd.
But as I always say to everyone who asks me: It is what it is.
Hopefully the next update will be sooner and maybe a rig reel finally since I have all this new work. (Although I may make it password protected because some of the stuff I’ve made has NDA)
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