Being Geek Chic is a blog about one woman navigating the male-dominated industries of production and tech. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi, Founder, CEO and Director of Mighteor - one of the world's first internet video production companies. Learn more about Mighteor here.
Working in a startup is a truly high stress job. And if you’re a regular reader around here, well, you know that I run a startup of my own. But, add in the fact that most of my best clients are also in startups… And then add on the reality that most of my friends work in startups… And wow, there’s a lot of stress in our young lives. So what do I always suggest we do in order to destress and reset?
Platformer games!
Are you surprised I didn’t say yoga? Yeah, yoga works too. But the ultimate winner for me is still those old fashioned 2d games. It’s not just nostalgia, either. I’ve given this some serious thought. While first person shooters might seem like the obvious choice, I’m not a huge fan of unnecessary shows of wild violence, but that’s not the only reason.
Here are five reasons platformers might be the unexpected stress relief you need:
1. Platformer games allow you to totally escape into a meaningless task while enjoying the feeling of simple accomplishments. Get the coins! Jump high! Run fast! Sometimes it’s the smallest little wins that help us get out of our own heads and re-establish a connection with our lives.
2. Platformer games can be found on virtually every type of device. Your phone, tablet, computer or system are all equipped with platformers on the go. So when I’m having a stressful afternoon, sometimes, I’ll just pull up a quick game on my laptop and enjoy the moment.
3. Platformer games don’t require a ton of background story to get started. I love me a complicated game with hours and hours of playtime, but sometimes you just aren’t capable of putting in that time investment. Hell, I think I probably put half a year into Professor Layton, but I regret nothing!
4. Platformer games now exist for virtually every kind of fandom you can imagine. Whether it’s Pixar themed games or Adventure Time madness or Steven Universe silliness, you can emerge in a world of silly jumping and running with your favorite characters.
5. Platformer games are like escaping into a memory of a simpler time. A time when you used to beg for a Nintendo every day until Christmas when you finally got one. Remember when life was that simple? Yeah, that’s a good reminder: sometimes embracing simplicity is a necessary stress relief.
It’s no huge surprise that video games are used around the world by nerds who need a moment to destress. Or a whole week, you know how it goes. But next time you find yourself in a particularly stressful moment, I truly suggest going for a platformer. You might be surprised how satisfyingly de-stressing the 2d world can be.
It’s no surprise around here that I love movies. But another thing I love to dive into and obsess over is movie books. Or books about movies. Or books inspired by movies. Or books that were adapted into great movies. And while there are few I dislike, there are a collection that I hold dearly.
These books are just, win and whether you want to read them for pleasure to or hone your craft, these books will just make your life better:
Fashion inspiration is everywhere. And frankly, it may even be healthier to take one’s sartorial motivation from characters who aren’t even capable of being Photoshopped into non-human status. It’s implied - they look the way they do as a direct expression of artistic vision - not necessarily as part of some effort to sexualize being. As a recognition of this observation, the Lessons in Style series will continue until I run out of faux women to emulate. This week: Pixar’s ladies.
From top to bottom, these ladies are so inspirational to me. None of them are weak in any way. They are strong, resilient, resourceful and bold. If you don’t think that’s a form of fashion inspiration - think again. Note how they hold themselves. How they choose clothing for function and beauty. In truth: Wardrobe exemplifies what makes each their own person. That’s a good lesson for our own stylistic choices.
And yes, I refuse to promote the new Merida. She’s ridiculous. And she’s a victim of the aforementioned fashion culture that relies on turning the human to inhuman standards in order to poison our culture with self-loathing. I liked Merida as she was conceived. So I’ll leave the plastic surgery version for the Disney store.
Something really cool happened yesterday.
I told you all about the business of Spider-Man and the Decay Rate Algorithm, which was fun and yay. But the big, happy moment came when the director of The Amazing Spider-Man, Marc Webb, tweeted the video. I was pretty jazzed. Like super jazzed. I know it’s just a tweet, but the fact that the man who directed 500 Days of Summer watched my video made my day. Probably made my whole weekend actually.
So that happened and I’m hurriedly working on some other cool stuff to share with you next week. In the meantime, let’s review the other news of the week.
5 awesome women from Nora Ephron films
I’m making my boyfriend watch When Harry Met Sally this weekend in honor of Nora Ephron. He’s never seen it and that’s a shame. We all owe Ephron a debt of gratitude for her honest writing and her unforgettable characters. RIP Nora.
Guardians of the Galaxy next from Marvel?
Rumors abound! The basis? “Marvel has apparently filed various trademark applications for its Guardians of the Galaxy brand; Bleeding Cool states that everything from, “jewelery to beverages to furniture to cosmetics” has been covered in the applications, which span numerous international classes and also cover the usual merchandising materials (toys, video games, food, retails services, etc).”
Pixar backlash post-Brave
I agree with a lot of this, so if you have time, read it. In summary, it seems that the Disney-Pixar creative merger has caused two very distinct things: more Pixar-esque Disney movies (Meet the Robinson, Tangled) and more Disney-esque Pixar movies. (Cars 2, Brave) Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Hard to say just yet, but I’m over-the-moon excited for Wreck It Ralph.
My stuff elsewhere!
I’m creating in a lot of other places lately, so I wanted to be sure to share it.
How to support your local tech economy
Three ways your eReader can save money
Spider-Man and the Decay Rate Algorithm on the Internets
Science Friday
Pioneer Press
The Mary Sue (I wrote this one!)
Nerd Bastards
Is Viral
