"I Enjoy You" - A GDC Reflection

As another GDC passes by I sit on the first plane home, reflecting on the week. My second conference was jam packed with eye opening talks and beautiful people. Friends new and old gathered with me to share our love for the industry in an educational and celebratory event.

Flashback to last year: Alone, first time traveling to the west coast and my first ever exposure to GDC and the gaming industry at large. As a Sound Designer I was lost within my craft, lacking mentors and constructive peers. I arrived there with only one goal; to learn. Over the course of the week I discovered the incredible entity that is the Game Audio Community. Suddenly I was absorbed by this creative force of talent and beautiful individuals. I wasn't alone anymore. As the week progressed I was exposed to brilliant talks and flooded with information. I started mingling with people whose work I had been exposed to and feeling like a small speck of dust in this giant world. By the end of the week, I felt like part of the industry. I felt home. It was then I decided that GDC will forever be a part of my life.

Flash Forward to the present: GDC 2017. One year has passed since my last conference. A lot has happened since my pilgrimage last year. I became active within the community, joining the invaluable Game Audio Slack Channel and working on newer projects. In the slack I formed online friendships with people all over the world, from the UK to Australia, to Canada and Holland and back again. I came to know these people as friends, even though they were just names on a screen. Hours I spent following along with troubleshooting software problems or discussing the latest game release. I was at home in that chat. GDC approached and the excitement grew to meet up with everyone again. Before I knew it I was on a plane at 5:40am and on my way to the best part of my year.

I arrived in San Fransisco excited and ready. It didn't take long to encounter my online friends; they existed funnily enough. The community had grown and so had I. We began the usual GDC shenanigans; talks and expo walks, coffee runs to feel human again and lunch behind the carousel. Matt Marteinsson even started a series of microtalks entitled: Carouselcon. It was brilliant. Each morning I attended the meetup at Sightglass coffee. Here we deconstructed the day before and discussed events to come. Invaluable communication. Luca Fusi started the now annual Game Audio Karaoke event for which I am forever grateful. I came to connect with those names on my computer. Laughing and discussing the next big thing.

Damian Kastbauer and I had a one on one towards the end of the week. Among other things we discussed community and how lucky we are to have this tight knit and ever evolving conglomerate of people. His positivity and enthusiasm for life and work resonated with me immensely. This community we have is a precious gift constructed by non other than ourselves. Damian won't take credit, because that’s who he is, but he will forever be the "Great Wizard of the North" that sparked this community. He may not have created this on his own, but he sure as hell is the flint we all struck to flash this thing into creation. I began thinking about the positivity and enthusiasm Damian expresses within every aspect of the community. As I walked away from our lunch I felt a burning desire to make this community better than it already is. There's so much more ground left to cover.

I began to think of the friends I have come to know and made a decision to let these people know what they mean to me. My heart was so full. "I enjoy you" became my catchphrase for the last two days. "I enjoy you immensely. I appreciate you and I'm glad you’re here." I hugged everyone so tightly. I tried to get to everyone that has made this trip so fulfilling. I talked to Luca before I left for the final time. I said "I feel like I need to do more to be a more understanding and compassionate person. I feel like I need to push this energy into the community to continue it on its path." We talked about goals for the future that day. Well, that's my goal.

I left that last meeting with a full heart and a reflective mind. I want to express my thanks to everyone in the slack channel and at GDC. I enjoy all of you so much, you've taught me an immeasurable amount of things and welcomed me into the fold with open arms. None of you had to do that, but you did anyway. I want all of you to succeed in every way possible, continue to be you with ever fiber of your being. I’ll be here cheering you on.

To the new people coming into game audio who are too nervous to post in the slack or too afraid to introduce yourself. We see you. We love you. You belong. I'm very active in that slack, conversations may make you feel excluded or have nothing to contribute. Your opinion or struggle matters. We’re here for each other, it was designed that way. Say hey, see what happens. I did, and I've made some of the greatest friends I'll ever have. If a twenty-four year old from Maine can be welcomed into a community he thought he had no place in, so can you.

See you next GDC.