Aaand we’re back!

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July! I spent the better part of my four day weekend painting snails and setting off fireworks in the street.

Once the weekend came to a close, Colorado greeted the following Monday with a misty morning that lasted throughout the day. It seems this weather will actually continue along the week, to which my summer wardrobe says: Bring It On. The weather, although grey and quiet, did not hinder the energy of the interns as we trekked downtown to the Mode Set studio. There, we would meet Justin Gitlin, who is one of the lead developers for the Oh Heck Yeah! games. Not only is he a phenomenal programmer, but also an extraordinary musician, and friend as well.

What I found interesting during this discussion was Justin’s confession of failing his first Computer Science classes. He claims that this is due to being a slow learner, and out of most people of the team, he thinks he might be one of the slowest. However, it is obvious that this does not discourage his motivation, because he can still rely on his “niche,” or personal strengths, to pull him through various projects and innovations.

Justin particularly excels at merging art with technology, allowing him to create digital codes that cross over to physical interactions. For example, one of his latest projects consists of four pillars, all of which light up individually, in different colors, depending on how close a person is standing next to it. Should four people be standing next to these devices at the same time, they are then allowed to move their bodies in different ways to produce different chords of sound. Four people are not necessary to do this; even one person can create a small symphony, but the more people there are, the greater the range for interaction is created, both for the players and the notes.

With this in mind, Justin is one of many speakers presented to the interns that prove any person, no matter the skill set, can weave their way into the art industry. Sitting at a computer does not always equal office work, just like painting, drawing, or photography does not always have to mean establishing a solo career. In some cases, you don’t even have to make art to like it, so long as your heart is in the right place. As Justin said, “You just have to find your niche.”

Explore your possibilities, even if you feel like you have none. It’s 2015, and the world is entering an age that refuses to abandon technology and opportunity, so go on and Google something, anything, that interests you. Find what excites you. Find something you love to do. It’s okay if it takes a while, and it’s absolutely okay to ask for help more than once. It will never be too late to do something that makes happy, and when you do, please share it with the world that didn’t even know it was waiting for you.

Until next time!

-Zef