One Year I am a Scratcher. One that is humble, but loves to interact with the community A lot has happened since I started Scratch. Now that I've come to a more stable state on Scratch, I started thinking, to get noticed, you have to be out there. To be out there, you need to participate. So soon after my half anniversary, I participated in a contest. I didn't win, but it helped others see my work. I have also started commenting more. Not how many others comment scores and ads, but commenting suggestions and things they did good on. I still don't follow a lot of people. When I follow people, it isn't because they are perfect, it is because of what I see in their projects. I also love and favorite less projects now, because sometimes, it gets harder to find beautiful things out there. Since the beginning of my journey has gone by, there is now a lot more to talk about. I have definitely gotten better at coding. In ways that even I can't explain. I've made new projects that I am proud of, but I still love my old projects, that often make me think, "what was I thinking back then?" All of us do that sometimes, looking back to what we have done. I started experimenting with more things, such as pen, pixel art, and generative things. During Scratch Camp, I made a project, and even though it isn't very popular or anything like that, it feels good to know you participated and people are noticing you. I've learned more tricks, and gotten better at vector art. However, the thing that makes me nostalgic the most is that I started differently, and that has made a big difference on me, but has also made it harder for me to accept what is happening out there. There are lots of generic projects out there. From platformers, animations, to clickers. These aren't necessarily bad, but fills up Scratch and causes projects that actually have hard work put into them get hidden and hard to find. You must remember though, that platformers themselves aren't generic. You can make non-generic platformers, animations, and clickers. Another thing that has happened and grow like a parasite out there is F4F. F4F (Follow For Follow) is technically forcing people to follow someone so they get a follow. It makes follows meaningless and harder to find meaningful numbers. Finally, ads. Comments are getting flooded with advertisements that are often fake and low effort. These are making Scratchers depressed and make it a lot harder to find the comments that you need or want to read. I have definitely transitioned more to making projects than exploring other's projects. My friend has clearly transitioned more to art and helping others. Her style is different from mines. I like coding and commenting, while she likes drawing and interacting with the community through events more. This makes the way our views, follows, loves, and favorites have grown very different, which is interesting to observe. (You can go to ScratchViews or ScratchStats to check stats and charts.) We are best friends, but we are very different in personality and the paths we took, in real life and Scratch. We interact more through talking than games and Scratch, since it is easier and a lot less pressure on both of us. I hope one day, she can make more complex projects, but it is completely her choice and preference. I don't have a lot of followers. Less than fifty as of writing this. That doesn't mean I am not being noticed. It could mean I have a more views or loves. I hope that one day, more people notice my work, but I am perfectly fine with my current state on Scratch is. I honestly like it. You must remember that great things take time, and you have to wait, while still being active. Patience is key. Many people start Scratch thinking it is a coding platform. However, it is more of a community about sharing our creativity rather than code. There are many groups of people on Scratch. Technical people like , people that love making games like me, people that love drawing, like my friend. Also Scratchers that host contests and Scratch events hosted by Scratchers, not Scratch Team. This makes Scratch extremely diverse and it is also very diverse in the sense of culture. After exploring Scratch more, I see that people that have stayed on Scratch longer have much more personality in their projects. Even a three months of a difference can be a lot, depending on how long they have been on Scratch. If someone has been on Scratch for one month, many of their projects will be small games or animations. Soon, in a few months, you might see more of their personality in their projects, because they are slowly learning what Scratch can do and how their own creativity is developing. I am growing too, right now, slowly, bit by bit.
***Scroll to the bottom if you do not want to read the whole thing. I have definitely been more focused about growth recently, so I have decided to show you how my projects have changed. It started with my first project, Bouncing Balls, which is literally what it is called. I made some projects, then I completed Space Fighter. I really wanted to share it, so I searched up Scratch, and that was when the small fire grew. Then I created my first project on online Scratch, which is Simple Shooter. Then Neon Shapes. Soon, I started experimenting with more variables and detection. I also started using more extensions, like pen, and also when face sensing first came out. I made simple projects, and then I think the big turning point is my remix of Escape. It taught me how others thought, and how to decode a project made in another language. I learned about cool tricks, and started using similar concepts in some of my projects. Then I made my fireworks, which I was really proud of. I started making more pen projects after that, and I made 100% Pen Snake for the contest. Slowly, I made more complex projects, and that is how I got here today. To conclude, we are constantly growing, even though it can feel like we are slowing down. For example, I felt like being in fifth grade was being at the top of the school, which it is. However, I have graduated, and I must restart in middle school. It is important to remember and remind yourself that you can learn new things, and be open to those new things. Something that seems small at the time can become a huge impact on your future self. As always, remember, "Don't chase people, let them catch you. ========================================== The friend is @dragonara360. ========================================== Check out the version I made half a year ago: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1365521534/ I know the music doesn't fit well, but I was feeling nostalgic for my Space Fighter, so I used the music I used for it. Thanks a lot to these people. I will never forget how they played a part in my journey. (•◡•) @Owaiso - Nice person and helped me see what makes a game interesting. @ReinGear - Helped me think in another way and helped me understand how the community works. @PepsiKrystal - My first follower other than my friend, which made me more optimistic. @-Adjust- - Really nice, hosted my first contest, and loves making games, just different kinds. @Birdsaresocute - Helped me, even though she never interacted with me. Helped me understand different types of projects.
