I'm in kind of a critical point in my life, where everything has to come together in one stressful mess or I'm really in for it. It's a mountain of stress to move on in life, especially when my hobbies are at risk. I don't know yet whether my hopeful career of game design will work out or not, but the only way to know for sure is to try. And the vast majority of people who complain about not having their dream jobs are those who don't try.

I may be a skeptic and something of a pessimist, but I realized yesterday that there is one thing that makes me happy, and that's making games. There is no greater feeling than doing a day's worth of work, looking back, and thinking, "Man, I accomplished a lot today. This game is that much closer to being finished."

But sometimes it's hard to find the motivation, that much I can understand. Sometimes you have to look at the big picture and not at the little details that act as obstacles. So today I asked myself what I've learned in the past two years – the two greatest years of improvement in my life. I'd encourage you to ask yourselves the same questions.

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My turning point was definitely RPG4D 2012. That was when I first finished something I could be proud of. That was when I really got it into gear and realized I didn't have to be stuck making shitty incomplete games. It was also my peak in motivation and thus the beginning of a long fall I'm still recovering from.

I've found my compositional style, which I've received largely positive feedback on.

I've made significant graphical improvements and can handle myself in both a pixel art environment and texturing. I have a decent and adaptable art style that needs improvement, but is passable.

I've improved as a writer and now have a much better understanding of modern storytelling, though this area isn't without its need of improvements.

I enjoy making complex games. Minigames are successful in short bursts. This doesn't mean that complex, effort-filled games can't be, but it may take longer to see success.

Ideas are a dime a dozen, but the ability to execute them is what sets you apart from everyone else.

Despite what some people say, it's not a bad thing to be a jack of all trades. Having skills in many areas is ideal for indie, though I have selected one to focus on more than the others.

Obstacles can be demoralizing. If needed, come back to them another day, or just plow through them with a cup of coffee in hand. Some say if you don't enjoy your work 100% then it's not for you, but I've found this to be entirely untrue. In your work, you will hit obstacles. The ability to overcome them is what shows your love for your work.

Force yourself to work if you have to, but don't force a product. Do this when you need to overcome a block, and stop when you feel that the quality is taking a hit because of it. More often than not, you will revisit these areas, but at least you overcame the block when it mattered.

You need just as much affirmation as everyone else.

And most importantly:

Coffee is delicious. Don't let anyone tell you that coffee isn't delicious.

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Someone get me a new skybox.