Here's one about following your dreams!
An Argument for Following your Passion
I am no stranger to inspirational speeches. After watching Steve Jobs’ commencement speech on YouTube the day after he died, I went on a commencement speech rampage that I hoped would thrill and inspire me. And it did! So when I had to choose the talks that I would attend at MIGS 2011 it was only obvious that Alex Alvarez’s talk would be one I wouldn’t miss. The description alone made it a worthwhile speech to attend even though it was classified as being in the “design” category. My fellow ‘gamedevourers’ were confused as well but we went with it. There was a very real chance I’d end up in a technical talk I wouldn’t understand, but it would be inspiring as it was described as: “Inspiration through lifelong education-The importance of creative development in the world of entertainment art”. I like to feel inspired!
I was pleasantly surprised when the talk was essentially a commencement speech and, as advertised, an argument for entertainment art. Alvarez is a pretty staunch advocate for the fine arts. He was an artist as a child. He loved drawing, he loved experimenting with computers and, as most of us do, he loved Star Wars. However, his education in his formative years took top priority and that education did not include art. He is quite right in saying that school is not a place where you can get a proper art education. We are always told it is a difficult path to take. We are told to stay in school, become business and science majors and take over the world! Well I am a living proof that fancy pants undergraduate and graduate degrees need not necessarily lead to the easy life as promised. So why should an art degree be any more ridiculous than a business degree? In my experience, it is difficult to find a job that you’ll like in any professional area, so why not choose one that you love and just be done with it? This is the crux of Alvarez’s argument. Do what you love and you will be happy.
As Alvarez was recounting the events that led him to doing what he loved, it was apparent that this is a route most people take to finding their passion. After years of setting his art aside to be a good student, Alvarez ended up in an Ivy League college doing a degree that he found useless and discovering that there is probably more to life than the Ivy League, a fancy degree and conforming to the so-called norm. So he dropped out and decided that he was going to have a career in the arts. After exploring many avenues like colouring for comic books for $7 an hour, he signed up for a design school where he learned about graphic design. As he went on to become a professional in the arts, he decided that he wanted to create an art school that would benefit amateurs and professionals alike and that would foster artistic creativity. This would be a school where amateur artists would learn from real working artists and would be given the resources to follow their dreams. And so he founded the Gnomon School of Visual Effects which boasts a staggering 95% placement rate due to its "pretty treacherous portfolio requirements". The goal of the school is to promote a creative environment by bringing like-minded people together and to be able to learn from others and to teach others about the craft. It’s an amazing and inspirational idea. Be critical of your educational environment and, if it doesn’t suit you, find a way to make it right.
All in all the talk wasn’t really about games, and yet I found it critical for someone trying to get into working in the gaming industry. We are always told about how important it is to stay in school, get a degree and that somehow, that route will be the key to instant success. And it is! But study a subject you love! Work in something you love! If you do, you will definitely be happy.
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