Confessions of a Quirky Christian Artist

This has been a really strange week for me.  After a couple months of binging over the holidays I expected that it would take a month or two to bounce back to my usual plateau.  Well I didn’t.  Over the past 5 years I’ve been trying all sorts of lifestyle adjustments with diet and exercise.  One thing I haven’t tried is a very low calorie diet.  The reason, frankly, is that I thought I simply couldn’t do it.  I just love eating way too much.  I was able to learn to make several very healthy dishes that I’m able to eat day in and day out.  I mostly learned that eating any sugar or carbs instantly adds several pounds.  Though I think that’s mostly because I transform into Cookie Monster the moment I have any, and then overdo it.  And in general found a plateau I was… ok with.  This new plateau… not ok with.   Usually weekends are my achilles heel.  But thanks to whatever random confluence of events, LAST weekend I just ...

I just finished a book my good friend Chris Whiteside loaned me that I quite enjoyed.  It’s about why games are compelling experiences (for those who find them so) written by a couple psychologists.  I think that’s what they are.  Anyway, it’s written for the general public and does a really fantastic job of explaining what can seem bewildering and scary to outsiders.  The core premise they are working with is that games can fulfill three basic psychological needs really well.  Those are competence, autonomy and relatedness.  They break down how certain genres of games are especially good at scratching one or more of those itches.  I’ll summarize what those needs are real quick. Competence is something that all humans find satisfaction in attaining.  Anything from prowess in sports, mastering scholastic endeavors, learning to art well, or even being awesome at manipulating people.  It’s pretty clear how games can fulfill this desire to b...