Is my portfolio, and my critics are the people that follow me. They help me choose what I want to show to professionals if I go to any meetings or interviews, either for getting into school when I was younger, or for job and employment options now a days. I have things from digital paintings, to photographs, all the way to 3D animations, and costumes I have made and designed. I follow over 1000 artists on DeviantArt, but I follow each of them for different reasons, and they all teach me something new, whether I asked them for pointers, or if I analyse their art. It is an art community, and it is the only place I feel safe to express myself online, because it is my art, and I want people to see. Before people would have to try selling their art on the street, or showing it in a gallery, not now, now millions of amazing art, is one click away. It’s is a simple user interface, and fast as ever, the moment of posting something someone will have already viewed it in that second. You can even work on a collaboration piece with multiple people, say I’m better at line art, and then my friend is better at colouring and shading, then someone else is better at adding in little detail digitally in PhotoShop, then let it be so, and you can together create something new with all three of your styles of art together as one whole. I think this is a new way of socializing, because it’s with things that people want to show off, they are proud of what they have created. Plus on top of that, it’s great for brainstorming, learning, and creating new techniques. People aren’t afraid of sharing how they did something, if you type it in, there are tutorials on just about anything.

http://www.deviantart.com/

            Sure I have a Facebook account, but I don’t like it. I normally hear a gasp from people when I say that, normally followed by “you’re crazy”. I’ve gotten used to those comments, but then I get asked, why I have Facebook if I don’t like it?  I have Facebook because I have a lot of family and friends all over the world, and honestly, it seems to be one of the easiest and fastest ways to connect. It doesn’t matter what time, it doesn’t matter what media you use, and it will support it. As great a medium as it is, I am not really a fan of attaching myself to the computer in the sense of placing myself online. Sure I use the internet every day, and for school or leisure, but do we really have to display everything about ourselves online? No we have the option, and though they say we are protected and it is secure, but if someone knew how to search a specific thing through Google, they just might be able to find a certain photograph of yourself. Facebook and the internet as well are of course great for connecting with people, people you would typically have never met, so it has it’s pros of being beyond what anyone could have imagined possible. Not to mention the ability that we all take for granted of typing anything in and you’ll be able to find something of relevance. What about the cons? It’s a stalking mechanism, not just Facebook, but the ability of the internet with online banking, and hackers. One second you can have everything, the next you own nothing. As amazing as it is, it’s also very frightening. Plus the amount we put our computers through, viruses, just by a single click, sometimes they can’t always be saved. So there goes everything, work, pictures, video, data, information, etc. Before all that really was a hazard for that type of valuables was a fire, or robber, now it’s any kid with half a brain, and a computer.  As great as social networking or utilities are, I much prefer talking to my friends and family in person or on the phone. As fast as it is, I will take my time to ever look at my Facebook, I’ll look only once a week, unless told otherwise. So I tell my friends that if it is imperative that I look, then get a hold of me some other way.  

Speaking of a new way of playing games, what about a game where you are able to control the environment, as in the earth and water? From Dust, created by Ubisoft, does exactly that, allows the player to take part and control and build the earth, using the earth. All elements are at their disposal, and though given an sped up time so as to see growth faster, there are still natural influences that may occur such as the presence or arrival of human beings, or natural disasters. There have been creation games in the past, most advertising “create your own world” though they mean either place where you want your rollercoaster’s or animal cages. Perhaps create a level in Little Big Planet, but never has it been, move the earth around, grab lava and combine it with water to create stone, rise mud underwater, to become dirt of an island.  The environment is yours, and it will live and grow, and die as you play along, it is given a life of its own. We as the player only establish the beginning of its life. It is a god game genera, but not in the sense of controlling civilisations and fighting to defend it, or creating your own creatures such as Spore has done, not it’s a battle of time and creation. 

            Yes it’s true; I’m a “nerd” or “geek”, perhaps both. If ever anyone say’s that to me I take it as a compliment, not as insult. Some are taken aback by that, but it’s true, now a days, people are proud about that they of title I guess you could say. I think this is a very important and large part of the history of media. D&D or Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy RPG (Role Playing Game) that has been around for a very long time, since it was first created in 1974, created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and it has grown over the years. There are still new versions being released, the latest one being 4.0. This is an amazing game, because though there is story to follow you can choose to go your own way, there are no invisible wall, it is all pen, paper and dice. The strongest thing in this game is ones imagination. It can be played anywhere at any time, and with as many people as you’d like, each person is one character, and they must role play their character and as they take damage from enemies then do become weaker. It is all recorded on the player sheets. The dice are rolled on each person’s turn, and they establish if they succeeded in an attack, or in finding something, it’s a way of determining success without a simple yes or no, there is chance, the higher the roll (max 20) the stronger or better the action is. It is a game that has never properly been reproduced, many have tried, and most have failed. With the right group of people, some game sessions will go on for 12 hours or so, and yes I am speaking from experience. The experience of needing to use your imagination is a crucial part of playing and is what makes it so unique, I’ve seen those with less imaginative imaginations try and play, and they do not see the value of the game, it is lost on them. 

            We have all heard of Wii-motes, and the new PlayStation Move, but though those are trying to be a different way of playing games, motion sensors, which don’t get me wrong they are very neat way of playing, and it’s something new, at least to consoles, or rather was. There has even been the progress of wireless controllers, with a few motion sensors inside, but have we truly let go of all controls? The answer is “yes” on November 4^th 2010, Microsoft released Kinect, for X-Box 360. Their new “control”, it is completely hands free, they use your entire body, and its movements are the controls, or what is picked up and your control motions. Wave your hand to control your cursor, dance around and it will record your motion, jump in the air, as your player jumps a hurtle in a race, it can even recognise voice commands, this list is nearly endless. This is way beyond touch screens. Sure there have been virtual worlds, where you wear a video helmet, and robot gloves, but this is nothing around you, touching you, it is just you. Kinect is just a camera, microphone, and sensor. It is truly opening up the world or becoming a part of games, and giving the player a whole new outlook on the factor of them being able to truly affect what is going on, and taking part in control. Not just those controlling the actions through commands delivered to the consol through a controller. The player is finally able to move freely, they can be active at the same time, it works standing and in a seated position. 

One Chance is an online game that can be found on Newgrounds.com [ http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/555181 ]. It is amazing in the sense of what it actually is. Just a simple side scrolling game, 8-bit style, with a knit texture, but you can only play it once. I wish I was joking, but if you die (being a post apocalyptic game that is it) then that’s it, done, game over. Refresh your browser as many times as you’d like, h*** try even turning off your computer then back on again, that won’t change the fact that you played it and now you are done. It’s very much a joke on life, you only get to do things once, there is no retry button, once you have done it, it is done. Well now apparently games are to, one chance, and you are done. The aggravation of not being able to try again, drove me up the wall, being the gamer that I am, I tried everything to give myself another try, never have I just gotten one try at something, and never able to go back. “That’s not the way games work” I told myself over and over, but after the initial rage, I then began to applaud its ingenious way of presenting itself and the concept it brings forward, one try, that’s it. If gamers only had one try, we’d be so careful in what we do, we’d maybe give up games for some we would never know what they end is, and then industry would die with the ability of only being able to play once. It might even be the start of a whole new genera of game, one chance, something that I think many would seek out. They took the risk like any great artist would, and I believe have made a success. 

            There are many things we take for granted. Though some are able to see these things in a different light, and make something new out of them, yet there function still remains the same, well they can. What I’m talking about in particular are elevators. There are some elevators in Germany that look more like dumbwaiters, just as cubbies in the wall, though these cubbies are moving. One always going up or is it going down? They actually rotate; they make a complete circle if you will. They don’t stop, they just keep going. It’s different to me because I have never seen something like this, and well it is, if one would consider it Art, something that the audience must take part in, because that will be how they get to the next level. It has been used in many buildings now, and even a mall or two. I choose to show this because this shows how things some may have gotten used because they use it every day, is odd to someone else who is seeing it for the very first time. Some may love it, others may hate it. Art is all around us, and even if we don’t think something is art, it is to someone else. When we speak or say if we like something or not, we are actually critiquing it, everyone is a critique. We will always find art, whether we get it or not, it’s everywhere.   

Many have heard of them, but instead of just making music they like to be a little on the odd side by creating music video’s that are a little of the not so normal side of things. They are known for their one shot takes, and having fun with everything. Most artists like to have their videos represent the meaning of their songs, but OK Go, just does what feels right, and enjoys. Their videos have been every well received, and has been viewed millions of times on YouTube for their “originallity” and have earned many peoples respect for having the ability to not only create music, but to create art in their music videos.