Meeting the AA team...

I see that there's a future beyond the portfolio... Meeting the America's Army team this week was very interesting. I never realized how much this company kind of exemplifies some of my own values... Beyond creating an entertaining game, their game is used as a serious training tool, and the whole military aspect really kind of appeals to me. Although I felt extremely intimidated at times when the executive producer talked about some of the art style, content, and what is expected of their artists; I felt much more confident when they started talking about group dynamics and the hiring process. Contrary to popular belief they do look at your extra-curricular activities to see what kind of person you are. A major part they emphasized on was if a person communicated well, worked well in a group, had a good work ethic, and was just a fun person to work with. Although I doubt my talents and drive in regards to art, I feel immensely more confident in my communication and leadership abilities. I felt this most today when our group, for the first time, started conceptualizing. I'm only the "artist" mind you, but today I took the brainstorm in at a glance at first, and then basically I dominated the conversation. Dominated is probably not the right word, because I do get worried that I may become too overbearing, and ever since Leslie cautioned me once to be careful because my enthusiasm can be so contagious that I can talk people into seeing my idea as the right idea. I get nervous about that because, just as I cut people off on their own ideas when I see flaws, I always want to make sure the same is being done to me. It's not about pride here; it's about having the best product possible. I said some of these concerns to a teammate today and he responded, "No, it was really good that you took on that position. You weren't overpowering either, you listened to everyone's impute and incorporated their ideas." That made me feel really good =) I sometimes worry that I'm not right for the industry, but after days like today I can't help but feel like I belong here. Why yes I'm the Artist who likes to design, facilitate, and kind of produce... =) I'm hoping that I'll be able to go far with my communication skills. As nervous as I get, I can't help but feel like everything is going to be alright. It was like at the end of today, I had a headache and was really tired but I had a great conversation with Lauren about some gaming stuff, and the fact that we can keep talking about it just feels really good sometimes. I know she may read this at one point but hell I really like working with her, it's extremely fulfilling to work with someone who is both motivated and well I'm not sure how to explain it. She's badass basically... So this would be a great place for some kind of conclusion but I feel as though it's been lost somewhere in the rant above.... But basically everything is going to be alright =)