It’s easy to arrive at a destination and say that the trials were worth it. 

But in a graph charted backward, dozens of dots are forgotten to give one an illusion of smooth sailing. And I had plenty of initial virtual pimples that I had to embrace. 

With every piece, I inched closer to defining my writing style and a voice that suited me. If you have to pick between quantity and quality, pick quantity (surprise). You can’t write 30 terrible pieces in a row. I began to chip away at the daunting wall of starting an article. 

I pivoted towards something I loved: the intersection of technology and gaming. 

Instead of instantly hitting publish, I learned that multiple revisions and cutting out fluff made for crisp content. Citing sources bolstered my credibility as a writer. First came the rejections.

Next came the little wins.

My biggest wins came in the form of interviewing the industry’s finest, the minds behind iconic studios BioWare and id Software. Soon, I began to store ideas and kickstart a piece without any inertia, achieving a flow state in minutes. Cutting off distractions drastically reduced the time it took to pen articles. A decluttered desk and a schedule helped too. 

I haven’t forgotten why I started. 

The gears have been grinding in the background to manifest a saga based on Arabian mythology.

If you’ve made it this far, know that I am grateful for your presence. 

Here’s to doing what we love and a future of fulfillment.

My takeaways from 2020 still apply but in a rough year, don’t beat yourself up over the circumstances. I couldn’t stick to half of my advice in 2021.

But growth is non-linear. Watch it compound as you put in the work.

A Game Pass subscription coupled with the kindness of game studios gave me 2021's greatest excuse: consuming content for “research.” The latter helped me work with talented minds from both journalism and the game industry at large. I wrote less this year but the little wins grew.

This year wasn’t about evening odds, it was about growing alongside them.

Learning Japanese alongside a 9-to-5 job round off a year that has taught me a great deal about myself. Slowing down and taking a couple of detours helped me attempt to accept the losses around me. Despite the odds, some of my side projects were brought to life while others remain dreams.

Your presence keeps me going. As for your dreams, godspeed.

2022 was a year of recovery and growth.

It taught me that I had things to unlearn and places to be.

It also reminded me that core memories arrive without warning. Three years ago, I could not have pictured myself covering a game dev conference or being nominated for a journalism award. Debuts across noted games publications and interactions with editors across the world have filled me with gratitude and determination.

It has been an incredibly fulfilling journey and I can't wait to see where it takes me.

In 2023, don't sleep through dreams that can come true.

I reached a checkpoint and saved my progress in 2023.

Quitting my 9-to-5 was a gamble. And boy did it pay off. My first full-time games journalism job pulled me out of the survivor mode I had been in for two years. It allowed new works of art to shape my view of the world. 

I still haven't quite mastered the art of critique. There are things I want to improve in my writing. And I still have projects left unfinished. But there's no denying that I'm closer to home.

This year, cherish those who've helped you make it this far.