Classic Quit My Job... Make a Game
Or in my case... classic get laid off after 20 years... make a game... start a Substack (devlog 01)
Hey! It's Phi.
It happened again… the unavoidable layoff. I've been fortunate to experience this only twice in my career. Ironically, once during my very first job, fresh out of art school, and again... more recently, at what could potentially be my last job.
When I say "last job," I mean my last job by choice. The initial feeling of being laid off was a mix of surprise and fear, and that "Oh sh*!, what am I going to do now?" moment. Comparing that to how I feel now, 20 years later, it's actually the same. Fear. Surprise. And, yup, that "Oh sh*!, what am I going to do now?" moment.
I'm definitely older, wiser (I hope), and certainly more experienced now. And that’s gotten me to see this in a new light as an opportunity to choose my own path. Yes, I'll work. I’ll work on making art, making games, teaching as I’ve always done previously. But I'll also find ways to take some time, play some games, camp, fish, hang with family, bake bread, get outside, go on walks, and do all the things I “never had time” to do.
The layoff is a double edged sword. On one side, you gain time! (Maybe too much time with all the socials these days) While on the other, you get to panic about the uncertainty of everything else! (don’t think the socials are helping with this part either) BUT, it’s also a moment to reflect on the situation, and for me, it’s also the push I needed to finally start... again. I’m making my return to a personal game project, one I began three years ago as a way to learn Unity, and improve on my limited coding knowledge. Any guesses to where this game is headed?
Calling it a “game” is a stretch. It’s not even a proper prototype… at least, not yet. I definitely got some work cut out for me, and I’ll need to refamiliarize myself with where I left off. Probably more importantly, figure out what exactly I want to make. And that’s going to take a minute.
In the meantime, this is a new-ish beginning, and I’m super excited for it! Though also a little apprehensive. I’ve failed many times before this and I’m hoping it’ll stick for good this time. I’ll be posting on here, building and sharing in hopes it’ll keep me more accountable. At least now with the layoff, I’ll have the time that I always said I needed. And maybe that’s the silver lining to something that is pretty damn scary.
This is the Backup Plan. I’m calling it a Practice Flip. Every practice is a flip, a chance to shift your creative path to be better everyday. I’m hoping to create, practice, and hopefully flip this job thing around to something more sustainable. I’ll try and probably fail… ALOT, but I expect to. At the very least, I hope to make progress…
So, hold onto your butts ya’ll! Here goes something…
…again
What to Expect
Over the coming weeks and months, and possibly years, you can expect an archive of progress through everyday practice of art, game development, teaching.
I’ll continue iteration and development on a game project that’s been ongoing. You'll also get glimpses into the design process, asset creation, and the ups and downs of solo game development, sharing experiences, and techniques, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the day to day.
The hope is we’ll all learn something along the way that can make us better for the next.