The End Of 2023 (Patreon)

Hello everyone!

It's the end of 2023! Or, in most places in the world, it is actually 2024, and even if it's not currently when you are then there's a good chance that when you're reading this it will be 2024. More accurately, then, at the time of me writing this post, where I am, it is currently just a few hours away from 2024. This is a silly opening paragraph so let's just say this: it's the end of 2023.

A Tiny Furry In A Huge World was released on the 19th of December 2019, making this month it's four year anniversary. The first version of A Tiny Furry In A Huge World was also the first thing that I ever put out on the internet in terms of content, so... it's also my four year anniversary as a creator, too. 

When I put out that little game to the public I didn't really expect a whole lot to come from it to be honest... in fact, something coming from it was the last thing on my mind. The first version was created in a fit of passion in about two weeks. I was frustrated with my job and I was frustrated with the quality of the average text adventure on textadventures.co.uk (there are some great ones though don't get me wrong) so I figured I'd download the program and give it a go. The bar wasn't particularly high - like I say, the average game on the site was pretty bad - which was a good thing, because I had no idea how to program. Write, sure, but program? Absolutely not. 

Even something basic like Quest was quite tough for me to learn, and I nearly gave up a couple of times, but I am glad that I didn't. If I had that I wouldn't be here right now... none of us would be here... which is a strange thought, because this, you peoples, is such a huge part of my life now.

Anyway: fast forward about four years and here we are. Dozens of published stories, a few cool games under my belt, projects upon projects, hundreds of hours of effort, hundreds of thousands of words... blood, sweat, tears... it's been quite a journey. It's been the best journey of my life in fact. I am grateful every day that I get to spend the vast majority of my time on something that is a true passion for me. It's stressful, yes: but I am grateful for that stress, because that stress is a part of, well, happiness unlike anything I have ever felt.

I could ramble on about this for a bit, but I'm going to spare everyone, because this is really just a prelude to what I want my final sentiment of 2023 to be.

If you have a dream, then do it. Stop dreaming about it and just do it. Be it make a game, write a book, learn to draw, go to the gym more, learn to fly a plane, start a motor car business... start working on it.

It will take you a long time to achieve whatever your goal is. In four years of doing this I still haven't achieved my true goals even if I've had a lot of successes and fun projects along the way. I am still learning about what I want to do, I will be learning for a long time, I am on ajourney to create the thing that I want to create and be the person that I want to be, but that journey is a delight in itself. The journey may even be never-ending, but even if it isn't, it's a journey of many, many, many thousands of steps.

Start taking steps.

If you're thinking to yourself: I can't do this, then I thought the exact same thing. If you told me ten years ago - five, even - that I would be doing this, writing this post right now, then I would have laughed right in your face.

You might think you're not good enough. But you are.

You just need to start moving.

Thank you all so much for being here in 2023. 2024 is going to my best year yet. I have some of my most ambitious projects yet in the works, and I can't wait to show you them all.

I hope that you all have a wonderful end of the year! I'll see you all in a day or two with the usual beginning of the month post... or, perhaps... the beginning of the year post?