Guy stuff.
What had started as a fun side gig helping a friend out with strategy and messaging, slowly evolved into a mission that became personal on several levels; most importantly, an opportunity to be the change I wanted to see in the market.
I am by most definitions an Adult Gamer, but I'm starting to feel a little like Murtagh: maybe I'm getting a little too old for this shit?
No matter how much you love your job and/or the company you work for, there's nothing wrong with being aware of what other opportunities are available at any given time, and there's nothing wrong with exploring a different opportunity that might be a similarly good fit for you.
I'm looking forward to attending and speaking at two upcoming conferences later this year — one for indie authors, one for publishers — helping attendees understand the importance of libraries and educating them on how to treat them like partners rather than pirates!
2023 was a pretty good year for my personal relationship with immersive media, though. I enjoyed a range of new-to-me books, games, movies, and TV, while also uncharacteristically diving back into some old faves when I needed a bit of comfort food.
I don't usually buy into "blame the user" for most problems, but our collective addiction to vanity metrics ruined everything, and even those who didn't buy into them have suffered the consequences. The problem exists between keyboard and chair.