Hands-on making in the video gaming age
It still pays to create IRL
My son, as I've shared frequently, is a creative soul. He loves to make. From Lego to all the resources in my shop, if it's hands-on creativity, he has his hands on it. I have tried my best to foster this, knowing what a joy creating is. But not long ago, I grew a bit concerned. Yes, he's ventured into video games and is legitimately hooked. But much to my relief, my son remains very much engaged in hands-on creative pursuits, too.
Rather than a distraction, his time playing video games - principally Minecraft and The Legend of Zelda - has given him a new focus on what he makes in real life. (FYI: he doesn’t play first-person shooter or war-themed games, at least not yet.) Instead of characters straight out of his imagination or from comic books and movies (e.g., Star Wars), he now makes a lot of things based on the games he plays.
I never had a problem with all the Star Wars-inspired creativity, and I don't have a problem with the game stuff now.
It's that he's still creating in real life - IRL - that matters the most.
I grew up in the eighties when the first video game consoles became popular. We had an Atari 2600 in my house, and I remember fondly the hours spent playing Frogger, Pack Man, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and more. But as many of my friends and classmates began to upgrade with the next, newest, and best machines, we did not.
I'm not sure if my parents saw the addictive potential video games presented and curtailed it, or they simply didn't want to pay out hard-earned cash for soon-to-be obsolete gadgetry again and again. Either way, I spent the better part of my tween and teen years doing everything but playing endless hours of video games.
As an adult, I've rarely spent time gaming, but I am not averse to it. Once, in the late aughts, I spent an inordinate amount of time playing a new version of Doom on my iPhone 3. And in college, before that, I got sucked into a computer game called Mist. But gaming, for me, is rare. Honestly, there are just too many other things I'd rather be doing.
Still, I get the attraction and appreciate the art and artistry that goes into their design and creation. So, I am pleased to see my son engaged positively. And watching him now channel his gaming interests into more than just his console is particularly rewarding.
After finishing a gaming session (which we usually limit to about thirty minutes a day), it's fun to see him energized, thinking about the newest in-world adventure or discovery he just made. Not long after, he heads to his room or his maker desk and starts creating something all that imaginative gameplay inspired.
In this vein, my son has decided to make his own costume for this Halloween, and he's going as Link from Legend of Zelda.
"LoZ" has been around since I was a kid, one of Nintendo's earliest and most popular offerings. Loosely inspired by The Lord of the Rings and similar sword and sorcery tales, LoZ follows the adventures of Link, an elfish boy, on a quest to save Princess Zelda from the evil clutches of Ganon.
The game has seen over twenty iterations since its inception and is even more popular today than in my youth. The latest adventure, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, is truly epic role-playing with some of the best story, gameplay, and graphics in gaming history (according to those in the know, not me). As such, I can see why my son loves it. Link is so relatable for young people, being a "regular kid" thrust into extraordinary circumstances. It's an inspiring story and also a beautiful one.
To make his costume, he's pulling out all his maker tricks.
The clothes are a hodge-podge of materials and clothes, a few he's scrounged from our closets, and a few items he recently picked up at the thrift store. For the shield and sword, he's already drawn templates and will be making the props from EVA foam.
We've watched a few YouTube videos for build ideas and techniques. I think he'll start cutting, gluing, and shaping this weekend. And then it's on to painting and weather. Knowing him, he'll keep modifying and refining the costume right up until October 31st.
Looking back on how this unfolded, I should never have been too concerned about video games. We've always managed his screen time, and he's always been good about it. And games, in all honesty, are some of the most inspirational creativity out there. The storytellers and game designers who develop these adventures are at the top of modern creative arts. Inspired by these experts, he may go into digital design or animation when he gets older.
Regardless, I'm so happy he still creates with his hands. Doing so is a considerable benefit to society and ourselves - a tremendous value it is. Making with one's hands is an irreplaceable way to learn about the world and give back to it. While video games, like the movies and TV that inspired me to create, can be a wellspring of ideas, I hope he continues to express all that inspiration here in the real world.
So, game time it is. Let's fire up the console and play! But only for a while because we also have things to make.
Until next time.
JRC