EPTThis may be a little noir style writing...I don't even know what that means. But let's be classy people and put on some jazz while we read this, eh?
Just over two months ago, I was about to quit casting. Gigs were few and far between, the ones that presented themselves were for 10 viewers at max and were long hours. Should I have complained? I hadn't done anything since IPL5. Casting at this point to me was fun and interesting but I was quickly running out of notice. I had my job, my friends, and my life to worry about instead of this thing i saw as a hobby. When out of the blue..
Someone contacted me to come to MLG studios for a bit. A decision had to be made. A local tournament was happening in Flushing with all my friends, the gamer ones at least. Do i betray my friends to go to MLG studios just for the off chance they may want me for something more than to hang around? My instincts told me to; it just so happened that MLG noticed their casters needed a break for their long hours of commentating the challenger leagues. They needed a filler. They didnt have many options to locally available casters, but they knew of me. They took a big risk... I hadn't been in too many situations like that and had been really away from casting for a while. I'd like to say it worked out. I think i did a pretty good job with the fill in while Axslav and Axeltoss caught their breath off stage for a series. That was when I knew i couldn't give it up.
I was really happy with what had happened. A lot of people had asked who the no-name caster was. It stings a little to know you've been around for two years and people didn't know your name. To be honest though, i expected as much since I didn't really cast that much and really didn't have the moxy and energy that others did.
Let's get a gif of raining new york city:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/wOoJCWs.gif)
(It's actually a bright sunshine day outside. But it builds the MOOD!)
Did I get an easy break? Was this a sign? The offer to cast an entire weeks worth of content while Axeltoss was on vacation in just a few days? Who knows why this all coincided with the time i questioned my very involvement in the StarCraft 2 community... but it happened. For once, I read reddit and got praise. For once, I re-evaluated my hobby; it had turned from being something I did here and there and became "I need to spend more time doing this." At that point I knew i needed to spend even more time learning how to cast. Every day I read reddit and teamliquid, searching for my name and what people had to say. You shouldn't do that, fyi. I took it in stride though, there were many things I could change. My analysis had been failing me, i was not the strategic tyrant I had used to be, especially casting with Axslav beside me. I slowly made changes and while being humble, tried to not let it show that I knew i was terrified of saying something completely wrong. I guess i failed there
We need a picture of some 1920's noir figure. You're still listening to that jazz, right?
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/68Sf5A0.jpg)
And so I changed. I adapted. I grew. I realized that I can't give up. This stuff was too much fun and there was much more to be done. So I started networking, sending out requests for more things, and asking those i knew in the game to help me out.
I sit here listening to jazz, Dreamhack just behind me and more things to come. Are there things I can still improve? Of course. I started playing Random on ladder with the mindset to learn as much as I can. I tell my opponents what race so I know they play so I learn the match up better, and not get lucky they built wrong. I still listen to what I cast and review what I said, what was weird to say and what I can change. "Ew, why did my voice sound like that?".
But alas, Dreamhack was so much fun. A bit stressful and aggravating at times, but it's all preparation for those bigger events. Who knows, maybe i have some bigger things lined up already! It seems crazy to think I got done two 12 hour days and all i want to do is go play StarCraft. First, i have to finish this blog...then i need to eat... Priorities, people.
Well, I think you know by this point I'm not done. I'm not through. I will not go silently through the night (Independence Day quote, that's right). If you want a lesson out of this, and though a bit of luck is involved, don't give up on the things you love. It's been two years of casting by now. Two years of listening to my stuff again and again to learn what I do could be better. Two years of making friends and helping each other out. We all start of small... two years ago I was casting every week for 10 people, and a few weeks ago it was for 30,000.
This hobby takes hard work, humility and dedication... and I love every minute of it.
! Nice blog, so glad you have finally gotten recognition you deserve!
