Yeah, It’s a New Year!

So they’re marking this as a new year. Somehow, it feels like scenery rushing by when one rides the elevated trains on the way into the city. “Damn,” you exclaim, “What the hell have I done or didn’t do in that ‘flash-in-a-pan’ of a year that just slipped by?”

Forget those stinkin’ resolutions that you made, as you still can smell the molded projects smoldering in the trash heap in the back room with the closed door. You know, the room you want to lock, but can’t, cause the weight of “responsibility” is too much to bear whenever you get too close to that doorknob.

The truth is that, in some instances, you actually surprised yourself. There were projects you accomplished, while not on your list, that made you aware of capabilities you weren’t aware you had. Ideas that somehow seem to sprout unexpectedly out of thin air. Projects that may have forced you to see your limitations and seek help from others, or projects that opened you up or awakened skills you didn’t know you possessed.

Setting the gem toppers onto games pieces for ATTACTICS.

I think many of us have a back room filled with unfinished projects or ideas. There’s no way one goes through life completing everything they set out to do. Particularly if one is a creative individual. To me, the mind is the “great expanse." Too much going on. Feeling guilty is too easy a path to take. I remember my report card from elementary school: “smart kid, but daydreams too much!” I still daydream way too much sometimes, but I won’t argue against the ideas that come from that mode of thinking.

I’m already getting ideas for new projects this year, grounded in the year that just sailed by. It’s not that important to finish every idea; just know that you’re capable of completing at least one or a few. Some people have never set foot in the arena of “completion.” There are a few more game projects I’d like to complete. It may mean opening that back room door and wiping clean the dust and collected mold. Hey, but it’s my room; just like your room is yours, and there might be some treasures lingering amid the chaos. KITUNDA is an extension of a game I copyrighted in 1972, over 50 years ago.

Showcasing Kitunda to Yonkers Comic Con attendees.

If there’s lag or the pace seems to slow to a crawl, I’ve learned to share my ideas with some trusting souls and spend time chewing the cud until something breaks, leaks, or blossoms into that unexpected flower. Do whatever you need to do to protect your ideas, remembering that some of your best works come with a sense of security and trust.

The ideas that I’m unable to finish, but still hold a sweet spot, I file away for a time when the two of us know how to tango. So, enjoy this new year, no guilt, no shame, just enjoy creating! Surprise yourself with how far it takes you. 

Happy New Year from Amurá Unlimited LLC.