2016, in my opinion, has been dictated by an entitled and self-serving attitude that makes me feel bitter about pretty much everything about the world I live in. All the negative noise seems much louder than the positive and the good, but from what I've experienced this year personally... it's not so much that it's louder, it's that we consciously choose to listen to it over everything else. There's this desire to go out of our way and do one of two things: to argue and to prove it - whatever it is - wrong, or, to take it to heart and retreat. I did the latter for years.

As some of you may or may not know, I lost my job suddenly last Christmas and was forced into taking the scary step into the self-employed world of Graphic Design. Did I know what I was doing? Haha no of course not, nobody really does. But as soon as I did it, looking back on the choices I made to avoid doing anything to do with my uni qualification suddenly became very clear. I chose to listen to the very few people who spoke negatively of me and my work at University and gradually, ever so slowly... I stopped drawing. I stopped collecting adverts and wanting to buy books of logos to look at, I stopped doodling, I stopped everything. Every drawing I did decide to make became hard, even commissions. My mother has her own business and I've always been in charge of her branding, and even that became hard. I would suddenly have a short temper and snap at her for asking me to do things that were well within my ability. There are other effects to, and I'm still working through this type of anxiety now that I understand it.
But essentially I began to hate the industry because of the - in hindsight - few stupid comments and put downs I received from my peers who were just shitty human beings. But for some reason, I cared about what they thought, and didn't care so much about LITERALLY EVERYONE TELLING ME I WAS GOOD AT SOMETHING.

Looking back now, I feel so stupid.

Almost 10 years people. 10 years worth of friends, family and friends-of-friends saying "Wow, you're really good at ______, you should do it for a living!"

Well, here I am. I've survived a year. It took me long enough, but I finally realised that my place isn't in a 9-5 job, it isn't in an agency where I'd have to deal with *shudders* people (lol). It's just me, doing things my way. I actually believe that I'm good at this now, because I've done it. I'm doing it. I'm doing it my way and not someone else's. And more importantly, I learned not to be bitter about the industry. I got a very good piece of advice at the very start of the year, when I was overly concerned about what other designers are doing. He said that looking at what others are doing is the most dangerous thing, because it's unobtainable.

In other words, you just have to do you.

What has this got to do with TEF? A lot. I lurked around when some drama dropped here about the campaign. It was a bit of a mess, but I sympathized with M&A because I understand why they feel the traditional gaming industry is not really the place for them. I've read a few articles about TEF online recently, and you only have to go to the comments section to see why. A lot of the comments are far from complimentary and even made me feel like crap for even liking the game. It's easy to listen to them, so of course it's easy to be bitter. I don't begrudge them for any attitude you guys picked up on. But, the same thing was happening with a few of you as well - a hyper-focus on the negative, and all the positive things slipping by.

I'm not saying everything was done perfectly. Mistakes were made, you've all pointed them out (which is fine to do, I'm not saying you should never voice your opinion), but that's not the point of this blog. All I'm saying is... Hell, any of you who know me well know I'm a mess of a human being and yet I got this far. M&A are a whole 2 people, plus the hundreds of you. All anyone needs is a chance! And you've given it to them.

I really hope that 2017 is full of chances for you as well. This year has been hard, not just for me but for everyone in varying degrees and I don't think it'll stop anytime soon. If there's something you're passionate about, please please please, I beg you, don't let anyone make you feel bad and take that away. It can be the smallest of comments that can derail you, or the smallest of comments you make that can derail someone else. I can't help but think where I would be if I hadn't let the small things get to me all those years ago.

Don't stop to surrender.

- Dag




TLDR; YOU! GO KICK SOME ASS AND GET YOUR THING.