Long before I wrote poetry, short stories, told antidotes, studied art and social construction, advertising and branding, and right before i took interest in philosophy, i was a 3 year old child, barely with any memory and little cognitive function in Queens, New York, for my birthday, i received a Super Nintendo...
My world was changed as I played Super Mario for the first time, unable to move my fingers fast enough to maneuver the controls i found my mind swept in a leaping pool of experience contemplating death with out recourse, the concept of continuation, multiplayer action, estranged art, and world defining rules... i was hooked on what one team could accomplished in such a revolutionizing way.
although it was just fun to me at the time, in time, i started to apply that conceptual and virtual knowledge and wisdom to my everyday realities, focusing more on critical thinking and the laws that govern the body i inhabit... i suppose it is easy to say i became self aware.
eventually, i became more intrigued by the many narratives presenting them selves on the more advance systems in the late 90's. the Japanese story telling reflecting on, psychological duality, stories dealing with self-awareness and existentialism were by far the most impactful in my youth, so much so that i felt encouraged to find the blurred lines for each game that i played, which aspects based in truth, or related multi-media, shared through out whole cultures as a belief or myth.
It was at this moment I found peace in a far gone troubled world. it was at this moment I came to see Metal Gear Solid on the PlayStation (sept. 3rd, 1998) as a guiding light; with Hideo Kojima (director) and Yoji Shinkawa (art director) as they re-birthed as living legends.
it was also at this time that my use of adapting from personal circumstances and gaming, held me at a standstill, i had hardly ever took the time to develop my own imagination. so understanding a concept like the sciences and the genius behind them was painfully difficult.
i felt that through the team creativity of video games, anything was possible. and i wanted to have that type of mental aptitude, so at the age of 12 for a science project, i picked up a pencil and started to sketch 70 Pokemon to make a understandable, easily digestible correlation to the periodic table of elements, accomplishing that goal in one night...
full of confidence the next day, with sweaty palms i stood in front of the class to present my project, forgetting i had never once stood in front of a class to present anything,,, i froze... and shed a tear, with a half crooked smile.
i've since come along way, but this is why in short why i became a visual painter illustrator, vs. a performer...