August 17, 2015

Who Inspires You

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Firstly, image is not my own, I nicked it from the internet. Secondly, this post is less about video games and more about life, so you’ll just have to come to grips with that.

In the last ten years I have “met” some truly inspiring people. Some are people I’ve gotten the pleasure to meet in real life, others are those I only know through video games or through online social media (which typically involves video games). They may not be particularly inspirational to you, but to me they have helped shape who I am. I thought I’d take a little bit of time to talk about some of the more influential ones and share why I find them inspiring. I’ve done posts like this in the past, so you may see some repeats.

Teresa from twitter / blog / games: One of the most inspiring ladies I’ve never met before, I just absolutely love her outlook on life. Things don’t always go as planned, they’re not always sunshine and roses, and yet somehow this lady reminds me that we must keep going forward. That we keep putting one foot in front of the other and move on. I also think she’s one of the bravest that I know, especially when writing about life on her blog. I find this very inspirational, very motivational.

Emily (Domino) twitter: Now the producer at DaybreakGames, this lady is just.. wow. First of all she’s Canadian, so of course there’s a point in her favour already, we Canuck’s have to stick together. She cooks some pretty amazing food, owns cats, and I’ve never seen her handle herself as anything but professional especially in this type of a job. I’ve “known” Emily for years now, and she did amazing things for the EQ2 housing community once upon a time and continues to promote the community. She’s also pretty crafty. I don’t know how on earth she finds the time. This woman is like a superhero to me.

Deirdre (CRB_Sunshine) twitter : Community Manager for WildStar, I have the pleasure of working with this lady on a daily basis. One of those superhuman’s who are able to balance multiple tasks on a single finger, I have no idea how she does it. She also has a very lovely family, and she just works very hard. People who work hard inspire me, they motivate me. Especially when I feel things are slipping through my grasp. Obviously I’m a bit biased with this entry, but I can’t help it.

Tami (Cuppy) twitter: Now, I haven’t always seen eye to eye with Cuppy. In fact I’m pretty sure I’m blocked on her twitter (or she hasn’t given me a single thought and just ignores anything I say, which is just as likely, I’m pretty invisible) BUT this woman is amazing. She’s the content producer at Riot, and is probably one of the strongest women I know. She stands up for her beliefs – and I find that inspiring. I don’t believe that we have to get along with everyone to find them inspirational. We don’t even have to like them. I think it’s foolish to think that we’ll get along with everyone we come across, but I know I’m still a better person for watching this person interact with others.

Morgan (Missdoomcookie) twitter: Working as a Narrative Designer for Halo 5, this lady is geek to the core – and fantastic. One thing I need to note about all of the above, is that they all have broad interests and that’s just part of the reason I find them inspirational. They’re real people, with regular interests that they don’t mind sharing with the world. They’ve opened themselves up and let people know that they’re human beings. I find that fascinating. I’ve “known” Morgan for years now, though we’ve never actually met in person. Her crafty side makes me want to learn more, and her writing is amazing.

I’ve never ‘met’ any of these ladies in person (even though I was in close proximity to most of them at one time or another back when I was writing for Beckett Massive Online Gamer) but they’ve still touched my life. Is that a bit creepy? Probably, but just like some people look up to movie stars, athletes, or other public figures, these are the people that I look up to. They deserve a bit of recognition and my thanks.