Wendi Art IT Network: Art

Showing posts with label Art. Show all posts

Let Yourself Be Perfectly Imperfect.

I remember watching my desk mate and fellow classmates walk past me during assembly to the front of the podium to receive gifts for doing well in exams . While this happened I would wonder when it would ever be me. At times I would daydream walking up the podium to get my Cadbury chocolate for grades well earned. Yet again and again, I would wake up and find myself in the same place leading on the other side, with no chocolate in sight apart from the occasional generous friend giving me a kionjo.

In the afternoon, after class, I would stay in behind longer than usual while my deskmate went for Hockey practice so that I could catch up on some reading. I would do the same during the weekends when she and other high performing students would go out of school for Sports competitions.

I did not let myself get into Sports because I was scared that my grades would deteriorate even further. If only I knew what I know now as someone working in the Video Game Development Industry, on the importance of play in activating the brain for learning and strategic thinking.

Anyway, I digress; my daydreams were the closest I got to receiving such a chocolatey gift. I know, I know you must be thinking gosh how petty. All the same, I am a human being and coupled with my raging teenage hormones at that time I was allowed to feel that way.

Most schools did not have such gifts and students still did well. However, that was not my reality and for that, I felt inadequate.

The fusion of art and tech is the future; creativity is getting more on demand during this time of accelerated digital transformation -- Wendi Ndaki

Don't get me wrong I had my strong points. I remember being awarded the second position for drawing a portrait during an inter-house competition. But now looking back, I realize no one saw it fit to give us brilliant creative students chocolate as recognition for our creative genius. It tells you a lot about the education system and the solutions for these ingrained mindsets that the sciences are the most important and should be given priority at the expense of the arts.

Anyway, I laboured through high school and ended up with a good enough grade to do a Diploma so as to qualify to do my Degree. This only happened because I am blessed with caring parents who made sure I went through my University education.

I ended up in IT and I decided to embrace it. I eventually fell in love with it which led to me starting this blog and joining the gaming industry where I feel most at home because of how art and tech fuse seamlessly.

To be honest, one must be strong-willed and passionate about art to go through such experiences and still be at it. And because of that, I celebrate myself.

Having gone through the hardships I did during my time in High School, I have come to appreciate applications that gamify learning such as Mavis Beacon for typing and Duolingo for learning foreign languages. Because I love learning new things. It's just the method of learning I used in High School that did not work for me.

I learn best by doing practical stuff that is why Art was my favourite subject in High School and IT grew on me in Uni.

I used to attend classes during the day and work in the ICT department in Uni at night. I would juggle that with doing assignments and also being an active member of a student-run organisation called AIESEC where I would eventually get elected as a Vice President. I even got to travel to Rwanda as a web design volunteer teacher in a High School in Huye through AIESEC.

My alma mater USIU-A made learning fun and my time on campus was full of adventure. I still remember the 24 hour ride from Nairobi to Kigali by bus for that volunteer opportunity. And how we would go to the Rift Valley region for leadership conferences on a regular, both through AIESEC and USIU-A as student leaders.

As I sit here writing this, my life still has its challenges but I feel like my past experiences ground me. I am more appreciative as my life takes shape and as I establish myself as a Creative Entrepreneur.

I currently have clientele from both the Arts and Tech industries. I have travelled to numerous countries fully sponsored because I chose to be bold, follow my heart and do what I love. I recently spoke in a panel with CEOs and influential people in Kenya and I almost did not recognize myself. I received a good sum of money for winning as a team at the Hack Ur Culture Hackathon. My team Hack Circle also received funding from the Goethe Institute Joburg to further develop another solution we created at the same Hackathon.

I have found my calling in the fusion of the arts and technology and I intend to share this passion through the work I produce and hopefully make a difference through inspiring stories that encourage those hesitant to follow this path that it is possible to succeed in it.

It will be tough at times but totally worth it. Let it be imperfect as you start and watch it improve as you go. We are always on a journey towards an elusive perfection, so let yourself be perfectly imperfect. And try try try. Apply for those opportunities and then let go, meanwhile count your blessings and stay positive. All will be well.

I never got that chocolate in High School but I tried my best. Now I can buy myself all the chocolate I want with money earned doing things I absolutely love. What more could one ask for? I did my Diploma while my classmates were doing their Degree I felt low in the beginning but when I went to do my Degree I achieved more than I thought I would. And so can you, that thing that is putting you down right now will make for a great story in the future. Be kind to yourself and those around you and let yourself be perfectly imperfect.

Did you know that the Video Game Industry is bigger than Hollywood? Well, it is and in 2020, the global games market is set to generate more than $160 billion and increase by 7.3% year on year. In Africa, the market for games has risen from $105 million to $570 million in just four years! The African population is young with the average age being 20 years. This will form the labour force of the future, as well as the gaming community that will raise the user base for games.

Oscar and Oluwatosin the Co-Founders. Their talk can be found
here.

The Africacomicade Gamathon is a virtual event that is hosted on itch.io. It is an initiative that was started by Oscar Micheal and Oluwatosin Ogunyebi to showcase African Creatives to the World. This is not only limited to the Creatives in the Gaming Industry but also those in the wider Entertainment Industry like film, music and content creation. Gaming is an industry that brings other industries together and this will become even more evident once you register for free and attend the training sessions and talks.

The aim of Africacomicade is to let the world know we have African Game Developers who are doing well. And to invite Creatives of all kinds from Storytellers to Illustrators, Marketers to Animators, Musicians to Sound Technicians and more to learn how they can plug into this inclusive Industry. It is a chance to show all these people the job opportunities they can leverage.

The Gamathon started on the 24th and will be running till the 30th of this month August 2020. The first 5 days are dedicated to training through talks and panel discussions. A lot of insight into the gaming industry will be shared by Industry leaders. Then on the final two days, Creatives from different African Countries will team up and create games for 48 hours in the exciting Africacomicade Game Jam.

If you are a newbie, not to worry. There will be training sessions in the program such as using platforms like Buildbox which requires no coding to create a game but focusses more on logic. Communication about all these training opportunities will be done through the Africacomicade Discord channel. Gaming and Game Publishing companies will also come in and inform new as well as established Game Developers what they have to offer.

The training sessions are in an effort to assist in the education needed in the Gaming Industry. It seeks to highlight how there are endless opportunities for what one can do with their gaming skills.

As a player you can become a professional game tester and assist Game Developers with the much-needed feedback during the different development phases of their games. You can also become a Professional Esports Athlete and stand a chance to earn just as much as the professional football players do.

So as you can see there will be lots of activities before the Game Jam this weekend. If you are a Creative and, to be honest, I believe we all are, you may want to register and learn how you can offer your skills in this fast-growing Industry. Also, note that there are lots of prizes to be won. I look forward to seeing more African Creatives building their networks and growing in the Industry. And I hope you will be one of them.

Mbira : The Fun and Interactive Game Inspired by Zimbabwe

On the 21st of May 2020 Zimbabwe celebrated the beginning of their culture week. Google Doodle honoured this day with an interactive game of Zimbabwe's 1000 year old musical instrument called the Mbira. The creation of the Google Doodle was a collaboration of different people in different fields, from writers to musicians, to visual artists and game developers.

Every game has a story and the Mbira Google Doodle is no exception.

This interactive experience follows the story of a little girl from the day she first fell in love with the Mbira to when she grows up and becomes a musician that plays the Mbira in a band. I loved watching how her mother was supportive throughout her creative journey.

The interactive experience challenged the player to play 4 traditional and modern songs in 4 levels. The songs are titled Nhemamusasa, Bangiza, Taireva and Chemutengure.

They played by simply hovering over a key on the Mbira at just the right time, following instructions that were laid out at the very beginning of the game. What I found special about this particular google doodle is that the Google team actually took a trip to Zimbabwe and worked closely with the Shona people so as to capture the authentic culture of the people in the game.

In this case, the levels and chapters of the interactive experience are synonymous. This is unlike in normal games where levels are strict and you have to finish one level to proceed to another; I realized that did not apply here. On the final page of the game, you can click on replay and choose a chapter you would like to play again or create your own mbira songs in free play. The game's 4 levels went as follows:

Level 1: It starts with the little girl walking with her Mum who is carrying a baby on her back. When the little girl hears an old Man play the Mbira, she stops right on her tracks forcing her mother to do the same. She then pushes the mother towards the old man's direction. The old Man notices her fascination with the instrument, stops playing and let's her touch it for her very first time. After that we continue listening to some beautiful Zimbabwean music as we are instructed on how to play the first song Nhemamusasa.

Level 2: Here we see a man making a tiny mbira. What's even more special about this particular moment is that the little girl has also participated in making it. We are shown the little girl picking bottle tops and handing them to the man for him to fix them on the Mbira. Once it is ready, he hands it over to the little girl and joy is written all over her face and we later see her hugging it dearly. After this emotional moment the player is taught how to play the song Bangiza.

Level 3: Takes us to the girl - now older - playing the Mbira with her peers who are dancing and playing other instruments. Her mother is still by her side as she is the one who brings her to this space. Before we proceed with the game play, we are taught about how the large calabash gourds used to make Mbiras help amplify the sound of the music. Playing the song Taivera is the next challenge in the game.

Level 4: The young girl is now an adult and plays in a band with a large crowd watching. We are taught that the Mbira can be featured with electric bands in Zimbabwe alongside drums and guitars. Things go full circle when she hands down the instrument to a young boy just the way it was handed down to her years ago.

This highlights how the Shona people have managed to preserve the Mbira for 1000 years through handing it down to the next generations. We then play the song Chemutengure and just like the journey of the young girl our journey as players also goes full circle.

It is a sweet story and an amazing interactive experience that introduces us to the special instrument of the Shona people. I'd like to urge you to try it out yourself here.The music from the mbira is soothing and with the current state of the World right now, the Mbira Google Doodle could not have come at a better time.

Here are some wise words to follow as we stay safe and healthy during this pandemic.

"Time is a healer, pain is a teacher, music is a stress reliever, be a believer" - Sauti Sol. And on that note I will leave you with these soothing sounds of the Mbira from Zimbabwe. Enjoy!

My Little Miracle

My little Miracle. I had been distressed and in constant search before I found her. Long hours spent on YouTube trying to figure things out left me tired and with a slight headache. Then I received a message, a sign I believe was from my angels.

The sign I saw was a recurring number, only I do not remember which number specifically. This number's meaning reminded me to ask for what I needed, to let go, and to allow the help I needed into my life. So I did and in letting go I let her, my little Miracle, into my life easily.

I also opened up a flood gate of uplifting messages from my loved ones too - something we all need when we've been pushing ourselves too hard.

Anyway, enough with the suspense already, right? Thanks to Mavis Beacon, I am touch typing on her right now. These words are manifesting in my little Miracle with the ease with which she manifested into my life. She is a lovely 17inch MacBook Pro that has aged with such amazing grace under the care of her previous loving Guardian.

Ng'endo holding up my little Miracle.

Her previous Guardian is my Mentor and a beautiful soul called Ng'endo. I wrote a little about her here. She has been my human Guardian Angel ever since I met her, guiding me through so many important stages in my life.

So here's what happened. I had sent her a funny cat video that reminded me of her cat Chairman. The kitten was biting a laptop screen and somehow the conversation led to me casually telling her about my poor laptop.

My previous laptop crashed right after I got a new job as an Online Art Instructor, an opportunity which I also have Ng'endo to thank for recommending me. Before letting go as my angels suggested, I had taken to obsessively researching online to find a laptop with great specs so that when I go to do my Masters in Animation, it will still perform well under the weight of the heavy animation software I'd be using.

I had everything planned out: I would send money to my sister who is scheduled to come back soon from her studies in China. She would buy me a cost effective laptop on her way back. I would send her the specifications of the kind of laptop I needed and she would be my go between with the Chinese laptop dealers. It was perfect.

It is interesting how things unfold, because her first contact whom she had dealt with for long and had built trust with did not have the kind of laptop I needed. Then she met an English-speaking laptop dealer and I could tell from her texts that she was excited; she had a good feeling about him helping us. My spirits naturally rose as well and my hope was renewed. Fast forward to a few days later, he stopped responding to my sisters' texts so again we went back to ground zero.

This is where the overwhelm escalated. And in the nick of time, my angels came to my rescue with the uplifting message I mentioned before. So I let go.

After casually mentioning my predicament to Ng'endo, she texted me a few days later offering to sell me her old MacBook Pro. For how much you ask? 7 Kenyan thousand shillings only. Where on this earth can you get that kind of an offer on a MacBook? To add onto that, she also mentioned that I could return it if it had any issues in 3 months and get my money back. Talk about a warranty.

So we made a deal and the transaction happened. My little Miracle which had helped her make some of her great films was still in good shape.

Now to take you back to my belief in angels and how they are always communicating with me through various ways, another interesting thing happened when I went to collect my little Miracle. When we were catching up, maintaining social distance of course, Ng'endo mentioned she had been watching this series and had seen someone that looked familiar.

Sasha Compere from Miracle Workers

After watching it a couple of times, her boyfriend told her the TV character looked like me but she had a slightly different perception. Usually people tell you that they saw someone who looked like you. Never had I met someone before Ng'endo who told me they saw someone who looked like they could be related to me.

To make things even more interesting, the series she was watching is called Miracle Workers. I mean, what are the odds? And when she sent me the picture of the character she was talking about, I saw my Aunty Kamene at first glance.

My Aunty Kamene and I enjoying a selfie moment.

I was so excited and went round the house asking my Mum and Sister who they thought this character looked like. They both agreed that she looked like my Aunty Kamene who I have been told a couple of times I resemble.

So I sent a picture of my aunty and I alongside this character's picture to Ng'endo just to let her know that she was right in thinking that way. And when I narrated this story to my friend, she told me she had recently watched a TED talk about how to become a Miracle Worker.

See? That is why I have a strong belief in angels and miracles. I am always receiving these amazing manifestations and experiences that feel guided. I wanted to share this with you because I made a vow to share more positive and uplifting stories with as many people as I can. We always need inspiring stories but I feel like we need them even more nowadays with Rona's menacing pandemic.

So that was my little Miracle. Thanks for reading all through. Do you have a positive story about something amazing that happened to you? Please feel free to share below in the comment section. Let's keep each other's spirits high.

The most special thing about this lockdown period for me is the self reflection I have been doing. Today, I remembered the reason why I started writing here 5 years ago was to share my Creative process with anyone who was curious to know. It's interesting how over those years I seem to have forgotten about that little reason.

It just dawned on me that it has been ages since I shared my artwork as a blog post. I have it all over my social media and I have linked those posts to my Archives page - but again I feel like it's time I shared some of them here like I did on my very first post.

So here goes ☺ these are my artwork from quick sketches to illustrations to animations and to pointillism pieces. Have a look and enjoy. Keep staying safe, be kind to yourself and remember that everything that we go through good or bad is just passing by. This too shall pass ❤

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At least with the pause happening to us humans we still have the birds and animals around us roaming freely. Today instead of my brisk walk I did my workout outside on our compound and our kittens were there to keep me company 😸😼🙃

A post shared by Wendi Art IT (@wendiartit) on Mar 31, 2020 at 9:51am PDT

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Work in progress. "To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it." Kurt Vonnegut.

A post shared by Wendi Art IT (@wendiartit) on Mar 10, 2020 at 9:49am PDT

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Becoming by Michelle Obama is my current read. I'm trying to read a book per week this year and it is currently my 2nd read this month. I think I will start looking for audio book versions so that I can keep up with my goal. Anyway I kinda also don't want to finish reading her book just yet 🙊🐒... because it is so refreshing. I can relate to a lot she talks about and so its familiarity makes it even easier for me to get lost in her world, as well as treasure the wisdom in her words. The piece above is inspired by her book. And by some animation classes I've been taking online. Vectors from freepik Animation by @wendiartit

A post shared by Wendi Art IT (@wendiartit) on Jan 20, 2019 at 5:54am PST

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Gratitude Day 12 Happy Jamhuri Day!🇰🇪 What better day than today to give thanks for freedom in all forms. As an artist, freedom of expression is everything. That's why I was so grateful for the temporary ban lift we got in order to watch the film Rafiki. Every form of freedom had to start somewhere. So with that in mind it's safe to say we have hope as Kenyan Creatives. Also the piece is finally compete ☺.

A post shared by Wendi Art IT (@wendiartit) on Dec 12, 2018 at 7:10am PST

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I just finished 2 things today ☺ this piece and reading Big Magic: Creative living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. To tell you the truth I did not feel like leaving the book after I started reading it 🤗. It's that good. Here are some of her wise words from the book."I believe that our planet is inhabited not only by animals and plants and bacteria and viruses, but also by ideas. Ideas are a disembodied, energetic life form. They are separate from us, but capable of interacting with us albeit strangely. Ideas have no material body, but they do have consciousness, and they must certainly have will. Ideas are driven by a single impulse: to be made manifest. And the only way an idea can be made manifest in our world is through collaboration with a human partner. It is only through a human's efforts that an idea can be escorted out of the ether and into the realm of the actual."

A post shared by Wendi Art IT (@wendiartit) on Nov 5, 2018 at 7:45am PST

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Gratitude Day 23 It's almost bedtime guys. Our bed is something we sometimes take for granted. The comfort it provides is therapeutic because sleep heals, energises and helps us solve issues that would otherwise be impossible to be solved by a tired mind. Don't forget to whisper a thank you to your bed tonight 😉. Sweet dreams 😴💤💤 . Design by freepik Animated by @wendiartit

A post shared by Wendi Art IT (@wendiartit) on Sep 23, 2018 at 11:10am PDT

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Gratitude Day 16 Did you know meditation slows down aging? Well it does. It also gives you a chance to slow down your thoughts when you feel like this video. Like your world is spinning. I've been meditating for a while now. I do so for 20 minutes everyday and I feel more at peace nowadays. So today I give thanks for meditation and for the peace of mind I enjoy thanks to my ongoing meditation practice. Ps. I created this video while experimenting with some editing software. I'm also grateful for my progress. Design by freepik Animated by @wendiartit

A post shared by Wendi Art IT (@wendiartit) on Sep 16, 2018 at 9:46am PDT

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Gratitude Day 19 "The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides." Audrey Hepburn Need I say more? Please join me today in giving thanks for our eyes and for the beauty we are blessed to see through them. Ps: Animation created in collaboration with @mwesh_creations . Thanks Mwende 🙂 Design by freepik

A post shared by Wendi Art IT (@wendiartit) on Sep 19, 2018 at 6:41am PDT

Can you guess who the last 3 artists are.?Come on, take a guess ☺.

I am sharing this in a bid to send some positivity into the world and I invite you to do the same in your own small way. I have arranged the trailers starting with those of the animations made on the African continent. I am wishing you and your loved ones good health and peace of mind as we all stay home, stay safe, and keep our spirits high. Happy watching and rewatching!

1. Liyana

2. The Snail and the Whale

3. Home

4. The Emperors New Groove

5. Bolt

6. Despicable Me 1,2,3

7. Sing

8. Coco

9. Moana

10. Wonder Park

11. Smallfoot

12. Rio 1,2

13. The Crood 1,2

14. How to Train Your Dragon 1,2,3

15. Angry birds

Image Source.

My mother is my inspiration in many ways. As a child, even the seemingly simplest of things she did seemed grand to me.

I bet you've watched those sci-fi movies where someone types accurately and at a super fast pace without looking at the keyboard. That is how my mother types. Her typing skills were one of the skills I admired the most.

My deep respect for games started right after high school. I was pretty idle at home waiting for communication from the universities I had applied to.

One day my mother came home with her work laptop. It was relatively new and I liked how you could move around with it. The other home computer was pretty much stuck in one place.

It was only natural for me to be fascinated by this new contraption. So I curiously started exploring whatever was within and that is how I stumbled upon Mavis Beacon.

Image source.

Mavis Beacon is a game that teaches typing, with fun quests to accomplish and interesting music and animations that make the whole experience memorable.

I love animations. I love them so much that I could barely hear when someone talked to me as a child while I was watching them. My mother's words.

I owe a lot to animations; my love for art was born from my love for drawing my favorite animated characters.

Apparently, I was once left alone in the house as a child while watching a German animation.

We had traveled to Germany to visit my father. I could not understand a thing but my mother had dashed to the shop and found me at the same place she had left me. She knew me and my crazy love for cartoons that well.

So the fact that Mavis Beacon was filled with colorful animations only made my quest for fast typing skills achievable in the most fun and engaging way.

In less than two months I had finished the training and could comfortably type fast and accurately while simply looking at the screen.

Speaking of Germany, Goethe Institut sometime last year announced a call for application for Creatives who would like to attend a workshop on how to create games for change. I applied and got in.

It's been a year and a half now and my team and I have been through numerous game development trainings. Our game which is designed to address corruption is due to be launched on the 24th of September this year.

Thanks to my Mother, Mavis Beacon, Animations, Goethe Institut and my Enter Africa Nairobi team, I am slowly getting to create fun learning games. I will continue sharing our journey as a team with you here.

I hope that this article and the ones that will follow will also help you view games from another perspective. A perspective that is larger than a fun pass time and or even a total waste of time. Games can help you learn skills that make you more like the people you admire. Maybe like your mother.