You are in charge of your own journey. Try not to sit back and blame others for the hand you have been dealt, just make the most of the nice things you have and strive to rise above the unpleasantness.
Inspired by the overwhelming reaction to my Hellblade post I decided to share peoples stories of how gaming has helped them. Gaming is indeed a wonderful thing, I know from having talked to many on Instagram it has got us through difficult times and also saved some of our lives (mine included).
Today I present the first, in what I hope to be many stories of how someone has persevered through hardships by gaming.
All posts are anonymous to protect the well-being of those involved and I get each person to choose some virtual photographers work to be featured. Meaning that the photography on the page is never going to be by the person that wrote the article.
I grew up in a fairly unpleasant environment. As a child there wasn’t much going for me. Home was rough, school was better but still not great and most of the time I just wandered through life like an empty shell.
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| Red Dead Redemption 2 by by Immortalissol |
In my early teens I was pushed into various toxic and abusive situations, ended up on drugs and at the time my only solace came from the cat that happened to share the house with me. Times were dark then. As soon as I could earn enough I became independent. I lived in a one room set up for a few years saving money. Eventually I managed to earn enough to escape my situation and moved as far away as I could from my past.
Two shots from Far Cry 5 by She.loves.the.seeds
Getting a PC, I delved into the world of online gaming (World of Warcraft mainly as one of my co-workers played it). The months went by and even though the escaped helped, it was just an escape. The cartoony characters were pretty but I needed something more concrete to invest in. That is when I delved into solo gaming. Dragon Age and the Elder Scrolls series really pulled me out of my darkness. Gone were my days of doing pointless raids for coin and gear, instead I was living an adventure of my own away from all the hardcore players, drama and time wasting.
Inevitably I ventured into consoles as my PC gave up the ghost and died on me. My main escape was gone and I needed a quick fix. I bought a console and from there it became a more expansive journey. I’ve tried my hand at a variety of games but of late have less and less time to play due to promotions at work. I joined the VP community some time back. I’m far from social and due to the events that led to this point, I can’t be near or get on with most people. Instead I find myself doing my own thing.
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| Horizon Zero Dawn by Immortalissol |
Animals have always brought me comfort and peace. I don’t post enough on my page, but Immortalissol and She loves the Seeds I find often give me more than the fix I need. They inspired me to invest more into gaming and that is why I chose their art to be featured here. It means so much to me that they agreed to it. I don’t post as often as I should but I embrace the escapism when I need to. In truth for most people my Instagram profile is so small and insignificant most people wouldn’t even know who I am. Yet that doesn’t matter to me.
My message for everyone out there is don’t feel that you need to be “popular” or play the trends. It shouldn’t be what virtual photography is about. Take shots of what make you happy and learn to love you for who you are. If I can get through what I have in life and endure, I am pretty sure those of you in hardship can too. Just strive ahead and embrace what you enjoy.
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