hello, world

Everything must start somewhere. This blog starts here, without any particular temporal significance and no grander reason than the idea that it will have to happen eventually.

My name is Michael Derry. I'm just another unique mind among billions of others looking to make a positive impact on the world during my short journey through it. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be an Architect. In High School I took some architecture & drafting classes and a few 3D modeling classes. I did pretty well in the Technology Fair for 3D animation but I went on to study Architecture as planned.

I did pretty well through most of it, struggling only through the heavy calculations of statics/structures, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture. Designing buildings, public spaces, and human interactions with the built environment were all interesting and enjoyable experiences but eventually I had to step into the real world. I loved design studios and the ideal of what an Architect is supposed to be but the realities of what an Architect really is began to wear on me before I even graduated.

To make a long story slightly shorter, with a degree in hand I still had five years and tens of thousands of dollars between myself and a license. Since the true nature of the job was nothing like the brochures, my passion quickly faded and I began to prepare myself for a long an boring career ahead. I never lost my interest in creating and designing but realized that I had been tricked into a field with few opportunities for true creative expression. In a declining economy, it also had few opportunities for employment.

As I trudged along at my job in an 'Architecture office' that specializes in adding antennas to cell towers, I bounced around to different creative projects in my free time. I spent several months immersed in the idea of Seasteading and came up with a complex structural design for a single family home on the open ocean. I then started creating mods for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It was a great experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. I thought of it as nothing more than a fun hobby until I realized that Game Design is a real job and people can do this for a living.

Several months after this realization set in, I started to take the idea seriously. I researched what the job(s) involves, local schools, and the skill sets required. Art, design, and technical computer knowledge are some of the important skills that I just happen to be strong in. Instead of creating office buildings, I could create worlds. Instead of drawing equipment layout plans, I could draw concept art and build 3D models. Even if I'm the lowest ranking grunt in the office and I make dozens of repetitive clutter objects a day, I'd still be creating useful works of art and have a chance to sit in on the occasional development meeting and support the team with my great ideas.

I'm not naive enough to believe the hype in the ads for all the for-profit game design schools. I know you don't make games using XBox 360 controllers and it's not some easy, glamorous job that any slacker could do. Maybe my vision of being able to have input in the development process isn't realistic. Only time will tell. However, I have pretty strong hope that I've found a much better career fit for myself in Video Game Design.

This blog will mostly be a place where I talk about the process of getting through school and eventually looking for a job. I'll talk about the projects I'm working on and the process I go through to create and refine them. My only goal is to update consistently. For now, I'm aiming for once a week. Let's see if I can do it.