Talking About My Work/Myself

I both love and hate talking about my work and myself* and it depends entirely on the context of the conversation, which is true for most people if we're being honest. The main variables that determine how I feel about discussing myself are the venue and current topic of the conversation.

I really don't like talking about myself unprompted in a public venue, like social media or a general discord channel on an open server. If it's relevant to the current conversation, like somebody else has already mentioned me/one of my projects** or someone's asking for recommendations and I really think something I've made fits what they're looking for, then I'll chime in and share. Otherwise I try not to talk about myself or post my stuff that much because I don't want to draw attention away from the actual topic to myself.*** It might be a symptom of past over-exposure to twitter and kickstarter but routinely posting about myself feels fake and marketing-esque, and I don't want to inflict that on people. It gets old fast and I don't want to burn folks out.

I do like talking in smaller more private spaces like DMs or voice chats where it doesn't feel like I'm derailing an ongoing conversation. I'm proud of the things I've made. I think they're good, and talking about them and the process of making them is a fun look back at how I've changed and grown as a creator. I also like talking about the things I'm currently working on because I'm excited about them, they're on my mind, and talking about projects and ideas helps me develop them.

A lot of times if I'm having trouble with a project talking it over with someone can help me unsnarl the issue or make connections and come up with new ideas and details to get me going again. I'm grateful that there are folks willing to listen to me ramble (sometimes at length) about whatever's on my mind. Thank you for being the wall I throw spaghetti at. Even so, I still try to restrain myself and refrain from talking about my work unless the subject comes up naturally.

I might be too hard on myself. It's good to have confidence in your skills and be proud of your accomplishments, and it's not actually rude to talk about yourself. I could probably hype myself up a little more without it being obnoxious, but I'd still rather not. For me the point of writing RPG material is to create something fun that folks can enjoy, not make a name for myself. The focus should be on the work and playing games, not me, so it's important to stay chill and just make things. Work that can stand on its own and speak for itself.

* When I say talking about "myself" I mean in a creative capacity. My current projects, ideas, and what I'm working on/doing/have done related to writing, not my personal life and experiences. This is all about the craft.

** I actually love hearing that folks have used/played my stuff and had fun with it. That's why I write it, so folks can use it and have a good time with their friends. There's a reason why everything I make has "Have fun!" on it somewhere.

*** Yes, I realize the irony of this post.