NAT IWATA
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In the middle...

4/6/2013

1 Comment

 
It's an odd thing working from home. I've heard different people comment on the topic. Some say that they love it, have meetings in their boxers, stay in their pajamas all day, or just slack off and do other things. Some get cabin fever, can't stand being alone so much of the time or are easily distracted by all of the other things they could be doing around them. Me, I'm somewhere in the middle.

I like the luxury, and I do consider it a luxury, of no commute, of setting my own hours, being my own boss, making art, writing books, seeing my lovely wife and children as often as I want. But what I have found over the last year is that it's very hard NOT to work these days. Working from home means that work is always an option, and working in the video game industry with other small developers means that all hours are fair game. I never 'go to work' in my PJs, that would feel weird, but then again I never go to work at all because I'm already at work. And if anything I'm too focused and find that if I have nothing to do, I work. I don't relax. I don't play a game, or read a book. That would seem far too unproductive. So I work.

It's not healthy I know, sleeping so little, working too much, but there is some inexplicable drive behind it. The constant feeling that time is limited and there's so much to do. But is it and is there? Kickstarter campaigns, books and card decks, are not generally launched because I am sitting around twiddling my thumbs. In fact, instead of taking focused time to just work on them I end up doing them in addition to all of my other projects. The drive to create, test limits, see what can materialize from the perceptual and conceptual. And right now, I'm in the middle of a lot. Just launched a game, working on several others, waiting for 260 copies of the book to come in, finishing the card deck. I'm not at the beginning of anything, or the end, because when one thing moves forward there's always something else tailgating close behind. But isn't that life? In the middle of it all, until we're not.
1 Comment
Josh
4/7/2013 05:22:39 am

I know the feeling well my friend. for the 2 years I did freelance, and even now sometimes, it really did feel like I was always at work, always a constant nag to crack open the laptop and get some work in. It's not easy, and anyone who thinks it is just hasn't been there. Miss you brother, keep fighting the good fight :)

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    Author

    Hi there. I'm Nat Iwata, an artist and author living the dream in the Portland, OR area. I'm a father of 3, author/illustrator of 1, probably worked on 30ish video games over the last 6 years. I get paid to draw,  though I did start out selling copiers...

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