Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Adaptability ⚡️

Onegai shimasu (おねがい します)  🙇

I’ve had this happen: you have a very well researched plan and will execute it exactly. Then something goes wonky and your beautifully made plan is destroyed. 

It’s ok to be angry and frustrated. It’s human. There are a few things to keep in mind:

You’re going to screw up and you’re not in a bubble. Others can see and hear you. Exploding with adverse emotions in public can have a negative effect on others. Especially if you’re a lead. The folks you manage will end up emulating you. Once I made a huge mistake, where my plans imploded, in a game company. It put a hold on progress for the whole studio. I was managing 5 junior artists at the time. I was able to correct my mistake rapidly and things returned to normal within a very short amount of time. Things in the studio proceeded as if nothing happened. The artists I was managing kept working like nothing happened. I did notice how they were observing me, though. I wanted to stay calm and they did so.

Being adaptable and appear to be chill in whatever industry you’re in is a must. Skills you can only develope over time with experience. Throwing a tantrum in public will not help. What will help is to continue to do the best you can. Even if you’re screaming inside 😬

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Offer and Accept Help 🙏

Onegai shimasu (おねがい します)  🙇

One of the items that came up relating to this blog is that there will be times that you will need help, no matter what industry you’re in. And it will happen. There is no shame in getting the help you need to save an issue. Especially one that can be solved by other person rather quickly. One person can't do everything. I'm not a coder, yet a coder may have a good solution in short time. Or someone may have some across the same issue you have and may know the solution. 

I needed help while I was reaching in order to finish a lesson so I could present it. One of the other teachers had a brilliant solution that sped up the fishing of the lesson. In fact, I was able to incorporate what I learned not only into the lesson, I was able to incorporate it into my standard personal work flow.

It’s important to have the final goal of the project in mind, Not just what you’re working on at the moment. There are always going to be a lot more things happening around you that need a bit of help too. You’re never the only one that needs help.

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Rewarding 🏆

Onegai shimasu (おねがい します)  🙇

I've seen this way too often in the industry: a person's goal is to win an award. That really is the wrong attitude to have. It's self centered and myopic. Your team will never do a good enough job in your eyes and and you'll always miss something important because you'll be obsessed with your own vision of how it will look/sound/feel. In the industry, there were times where a college only cared about what lay beyond the end goal. o the point they ignored issues right in front of them! And it caused the team a great deal of problems.
The goal is to make the best product you can as part of a team. 
Rewards are temporary. The experience will bring you to the next level of your career.
I recently got a small dose of this when I learned that a game I worked on over 20 years ago just won a Peabody Award! I had no idea it was submitted for review! My goal was never to get any awards. It was to make the best art I could and to work seamlessly with a talented team. 
All else was gravy. Even if the gravy is over 20 years old 😏


https://youtu.be/MfndfjyrTe8



Was away

 Onegai shimasu (おねがい します)  🙇

I had to be away for a while due to health issues. I will be back more frequently with new posts.