About
Hey, I'm Alexander Overstreet. Most people call me Alex.
I grew up in the beautiful city of Pensacola and later near Atlanta, GA. I spent most of my time drawing, coding, or playing video games. Now, I'm determined to start my own game company.
I created Iteration Zero to be a place where I could share what I'm working on and inspire others. Since I was a kid, I've struggled with this enormous pressure that I put on myself to be the best. In our world, social media and the rising digitalization of information has made it so easy to compare yourself to others. Even if you know someone has been programming for ten times as long as you, seeing them make so much progress in a short amount of time can be draining. It's so important to improve your skills by practicing starting projects. Sit down with an idea and don't get up until it works. Then, start over the next day with a new idea. The more you get in the habit of focusing on the essence of an idea and how to practically convert what's in your head into something real, the easier it'll become.
I'm not the only one who says this. Mike Acton, the Engine Director at Insomniac Games, explains how practice is crucial to make the most of your time:
Practice helps you get more efficient. Being more efficient gives you the extra space you need to become better. Dedicate no less than 30 minutes a day to one specific activity that you can do to improve your skill. It’s your skills, your career, your profession. Your homework for yourself. Do it every day, no exceptions. Throw away the results each day; the point of practice is practice, not building something.
- Mike Acton, 12 tips for making the best use of your time
Another issue that became a huge limiter of my ability to succeed was anxiety. My dad used to tell me that your words have power. If you constantly tell yourself you aren't enough or you're not good enough, then you will never feel content in your work. That's why it's crucial to realize that what you do will never be enough. Even if you become the most successful person on the planet, if your heart is not full now it won't be full then.
That leads me here. The core of what I'm trying to build here is just a message to people like me who are stuck in their heads with fear and doubt that they will ever truly be something. I have faith that no matter how lost you feel, you can build yourself out of it. You just have to start. Even if it's small. Even if it's messy. Start. Make something so that at the end of the day, you can say that while what you have may not be very good, you followed through and can be proud of your work.
Best wishes and good luck!
~ Alex Overstreet