Also known as humble brag, also known as sometimes I need to list down the things I’ve accomplished, so I don’t feel like such an impostor.
So where to begin, I think chronological order might help.
January– February
Okay, last January wasn’t the best mental health wise, with Covid and all its uncertainties, it really messed with me. And while we are on the topic of Covid, yah, it hasn’t been great, Melbourne went in and out of lockdown more times I can count, and I think the last tally was like 200++ days in lockdown for the past 2 years (basically my whole PhD was online). Okay, rant over.
Oh yah there was a game jam at the end of January. It was online and I worked with Helen Kwok, Yi-Ling Ng & Andrew J Ryan. I got to actually go around Melbourne to take photos and videos. Our game is called Postcard Memento, and it’s our love story for Melbourne.
Link: https://purplelilgirl.com/2021/03/10/i-made-a-game-for-ggj2021/
March
I got my ethics approval in March, which meant that I can finally start recruitment, working with participants. I went ham on recruitment and posted everywhere.
April – May
I started interviewing people and had the first pilot game jam, where we made a game called Counter Attack Therapy.
I would go on to write a paper and talk at conferences about the game, but that’s later on in the year (coz that’s how publication deadlines work 😅).
I got featured on RMIT’s Instagram stories, where I talked about my other game, Kintsugi (my game jam game in 2020 and was also featured on ABC Radio National).
I also joined RMIT Creative’s Art Squad, where we drew circles along Bowen street.
I’m still volunteering with Mates at RMIT (now renamed Kirrip), played with some puppies. I also started working as a Online Engagement Representative, organizing events for students who are based in OLCs in China.
June – July
I gave a talk at Freeplay about MENTAL Jam, my other game Sink/Swim also got nominated for a student award.
I also interviewed more people and we started on another game called Amour de Soi. I also wrote another paper and gave a talk about this game, also later on in the year.
I also joined batyr@RMIT student executive team.
I also started working as a How2RMIT presenter, giving online presentations to new students. As well as a RMIT Student Ambassador (although didn’t actually do any shifts, because lockdown started 😅).
August
I had my second milestone presentation, which thankfully went alright.
September-October
I had a birthday in September and recorded a few talks for conferences (yah because of Covid, the deadlines for talks are usually a month before the event).
For Melbourne International Games Week, I presented at Games for Change Asia Pacific and GCAP, Amour de Soi was also featured in an ABC News clip. My paper on Amour de Soi was also published in the Games for Change Asia Pacific proceedings journal.
Aside from that, I was also commissioned by RMIT Creative for their Creative Wellbeing Festival, where we developed an app called Life in Progress.
I was also elected as a member of the Academic Board for next year.
Made some reels for Mates as the Online Engagement Representative.
Also made some Tiktok videos for RMIT 😅😆
November-December
So because of how conferences and publications work, I gave a talk at ArtsIT conference about Counter Attack Therapy, the paper will also hopefully be published early next year.
Going to continue working with Mates, now named Kirrip, and hopefully, we can have some face to face events again and welcome new international students back to Melbourne.
In summary, 3 games, 4 talks, 2 papers and I am soooo tired 😅
Michelle Chen 