Valerie Putman:  I’d rather be gaming?

This has been my hardest semester to date.  I am teaching two classes I’ve never taught before and a third class that I have completely revamped, so I have 3 “new prepsâ€? this semester.  Essentially that means that each week I need to write about 10 hours worth of lectures, labs, assignments, and exams.  More frustrating than the increased work load, the first time around for a new class often falls short of my expectations.  Just as in teaching boardgames, you usually find a better way to teach it the second time around.  In fact, the first time you teach a game you might discover that the method you used bombed completely—a far less rewarding experience than the happy glow of students or gamers that “getâ€? what you’re teaching.  So I’m stressed and thankful the semester is almost over because I am completely burned out.  In fact, a few weeks ago I reached a point where I was so down about a class that hadn’t gone well that I started to daydream about leaving academia all together for a career centered in some way around boardgames.

I actually went so far as to find a job opening in the game industry and considered the real life ramifications of applying.  For starters, the job listing is for a game designer in the games and puzzles department at Mattel.  Heck, here’s the job posting if you feel like daydreaming with me.  Am I qualified?  Well, that depends on how important they consider the graphics design degree or the sketching skills.  I have always jumped straight into a 3D working model with my game designs.  Does it matter that I haven’t actually published any of my game designs?  Perhaps not.  One reason that I haven’t tried to market my games to Eurogame publishers is that I think they’ve been a bit too simplistic and mainstream.  But put a licensed theme on it and sell it to a non-gamer audience and I might be a perfect match.  I’ve played a wide variety of kids games and I am a fast learner.  Okay, I honestly have no idea if I could ever get the job if I applied, but who wants to be realistic in a daydream?  The real question is whether or not I would be happier if I changed careers so that my hobby and my job were in better sync.

The truth is, I’ve already started to blur the lines between work and my hobby.  I use quite a few boardgames in the classroom to teach, particularly on topics from critical thinking and statistics, and I’ve presented one of these techniques at a professional conference.  I find this mixing of interests to be very fulfilling.  If I changed to a career in boardgame design, I would have to find a way to work in my passion for teaching—perhaps some games designed for the classroom and homeschoolers with lesson plans included.  But it is a very scary change to consider, even if I hated my job (which, most semesters, I definitely don’t).  The idea of walking away from a good job just for the possibility of turning what I love into a paycheck is mind blowing.  (Of course, if I don’t get tenure next year that situation would be completely different!) I know there are success stories out there.  People start their own companies and go after their dreams and lead much happier lives as a reward for taking that leap.  Of course, there are horror stories too, but we rarely consider those when daydreaming.

I finally decided to at least feel Tyler out to see what he would think of a big life change.  The happy reality of marriage is that major life choices don’t just affect me, so it’s not fair to think that I could make that kind of decision alone.  As it turns out, Tyler has zero interest in moving to California and starting all over, so I’m kind of off the hook.  I can still daydream about the job but not beat myself up about whether or not I would have had the courage to actually go for it.  This summer when I’m out of school and traveling around the country playing games and visiting friends I will laugh at the idea of leaving academia—all the while telling myself that it could have been great, but was just not meant to be.  But maybe it’s your dream job….  Wouldn’t you rather be gaming?

I’d rather be on Christmas break already,
Valerie Putman

© 2006 Valerie Putman

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Many, many games played here (4 miles from El Segundo:-) Posted by Marc Gilutin on Dec 3, 2006 at 04:27 AM | #

Last month of the Fall semester is always the crunchiest of all crunch times.  What’s work for if not to make you question why you are working? :) Hang in there, and remember that it’s the students’ fault ;) Posted by Matthew Monin on Dec 3, 2006 at 02:07 PM | #

What’s so great about El Segundo?  They only have one season there.  Blech.  Oh yeah, and that pesky ocean breeze will do nothing but rust your car. Posted by Dale Yu on Dec 4, 2006 at 06:09 AM | #

So it would be nice outside right now and I wouldn’t have finals to write and grade next week?  And Marc is telling me there’s a good local gaminc scene?  Sold! Posted by Valerie Putman on Dec 4, 2006 at 07:38 AM | #

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