We were lucky to catch up with Riley Olson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Riley, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
In 2022 I took the biggest risk of my life in quitting my full-time job to pursue my passion for video game development. I had no formal training and no financial backing, but I had an incredible business partner, enough savings to minimize the need for side jobs, and the drive to make art that could sustain me creatively and financially. The road has been long and arduous; it’s been a massive undertaking. Multiple long-term projects have fallen by the wayside or underperformed, and the drive to keep chipping away at the work can be highly volatile. However, three years in I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done. I’ve learned more than I ever thought I would about everything from the intricacies of a game engine to interior design. Though we’re not yet making millions, we’re on our way to financial stability. If not for the risk of pursuing this full-time, I’d never have gotten comfortable with pushing myself to learn new skills, put myself in roles I never expected, and expanded my creative boundaries.
Riley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Riley Olson; I’m a video game developer and founder of Meadow Studios, currently making games for PC and VR. I’ve been developing for over three years, with a game in Early Access and another on the way to completion. I have a background in film and video production, which has been one of my biggest assets in game design: the overlap between the film world and game world is notable, especially in the tools to create powerful stories and experiences. Making games from the ground up is an enormous (Sisyphean) task, but the joy these games have brought to the people playing them has made everything worth it. I’m excited to continue development, tell new stories and create new experiences across multiple mediums.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Pursuing a creative career can be an absolute nightmare. The barrier to entry is enormous, chances of finding financial stability are low, and no project or pursuit has a definitive chance of making any money at all. But the work itself is the joy. Reaching a flow state, peaceful hours passing as you make something beautiful – that’s the reward. Watching people experience your work, connect with it, find joy in it, there’s nothing like it. At the end of the day it’s what I do because I can’t bring myself to do anything else.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
No book has affected my attitude towards work and time management quite like Oliver Burkman’s Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. It’s a deeply existential book, focusing on the very limited time we have on Earth, but also one that prioritizes enjoyment of life, finding and pursuing the things that matter, and letting go of the millions of things we simply can’t get to. His work stands above so many work-focused “self-help” or management books because it’s deeply authentic and well-researched, and one of the most humanist books I’ve read on the subject.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rileyolson.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/rileylolson
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rileyolson/
