Hey there, Ben,
I hope this message finds you well! My name is Matthew, aka Pointy.
Apologies in advance for the lengthy message. I’m currently sitting down with a few hours to spare, and I just created an account on the forums. I felt compelled to share and express myself.
How did I get into creating on Facebook Meta? I think it stems from a personal creative endeavor, right? Like me, many of us are creatives. It boils down to being our own storytellers, sharing stories through art; whether it’s painting, sketching, cardboard, video, audio, music, or something else.
Speaking for myself, I want to release something creative from my mind. I call what I do “idea creation.” We have an idea we want to express, and for me, it’s about putting that idea..something sitting in my head out into the world in a way others might relate to.
I was a manager at a movie theater for two years. Then, during the pandemic, I moved from Florida to California. I was fortunate enough to land some jobs with great people. Some were independent, small scale, run-and-gun shorts with little to no budget. After a while, I wanted to create my own art, so I decided to expand as an artist. I did some animation work with animators, dabbled in stand-up and improv, and tried voice work. I rotate through all of these every few months, haha.
Then it hit me: “Oh, wait!” I have all these ideas in my head, I don’t have to stick to live-action mediums. I can bring my ideas to life through other formats. That’s what led me to Meta Horizon. Yay, finally, haha! I realized I’d been doing all these things- animation, stand-up, improv, anything I dipped my fingers into, to make my own art. Then Meta Horizon came along. I got my headset and thought, “Whoa, I can build?”
I can physically build because I love puppetry, working with my hands, hand animation, crafting, editing, and storytelling. When I discovered you can build within the headset, pulling things apart with both hands like in reality, pushing things together, hand-animating, recording an object’s movement, playing it on a loop, grouping animations to create something new (like a creature that flies, blinks, and opens its mouth) I was blown away. I thought, “This is crazy!” It’s already a language I kind of knew. It’s about building what I see in my head, the same way I do when editing a video, telling a story onstage, or animating a silly clip.
It’s about expressing an idea that maybe didn’t need to be executed any other way. I thought, “Wait, I can build it in VR, something playable, a place others can visit.” Maybe my idea can be experienced instead of just listened to, watched, or heard. You can incorporate your voice, your sense of humor, your ideas, your style. That’s what led me here.
Bringing it back to my work in entertainment and collaborating with other creators, Meta Horizon is free. Building and scripting are free. It reminds me of working with little to no budget alongside others who just want to get a piece of art out into the world. It’s been just over a month, and I’ve already completed three worlds. One, “Highway of Beds,” is posted. It was my second build because my first involved so much scripting that I hired someone to teach me how to execute my idea. “Highway of Beds” is a simple platform game where you jump on beds, each with a different course. I’m happy with how it turned out. I made my own music and created my very first idea that others can actually play. I’d never done that before in my life.
It really comes down to someone wanting to execute an idea. Meta Horizon has given me another outlet to express what’s in my head. That’s amazing because it’s a whole new medium for me…a new language. Being able to sit down, build in the headset, and then step into first-person mode to see what I’ve created is honestly incredible. I never got into Roblox building (maybe I should have). I didn’t think creating playable art was something I’d dabble in until the VR headset came along. I understand Meta is pushing for more desktop building, so I’ll navigate that obstacle, haha.
You can’t just paint a wall, put up walls and a roof in five minutes, and then step inside to see it firsthand. People can draw it for you, or AI-generate an image or model to show you. There’s a difference between that and actually standing in the room, seeing the walls, the roof, the desk in the corner. Through Meta Horizon, yeah, it’s cartoonish, but I can put a rough idea together, step into it, and go, “Oh my gosh, I can finally see what I had in my mind at this scale.” I built a basic construct in five minutes, and that let me figure out what to do next. It expedited the idea, I could see it firsthand, in first person. That was super exciting for me. I’m always looking for new ways to push my ideas further and learn new things.
As a creator, I now have one goal beyond executing my ideas. While in VR and Meta Horizon, I’ve learned that some people think “virtual reality” isn’t “real.” But there are real people behind the avatars- 100% real. Unfortunately, some harass others with language and comments that constitute harassment, sexual harassment, or verbal abuse in all forms. Some forget that or choose not to care in VR. Kids might bully or say things, but they’re kids, they’ll grow and hopefully learn. What concerns me are the adults I’ve encountered whom I’d never want to meet in person. So, as a creator in Meta Horizon, I want to remind others to be mindful and careful about who they interact with and more importantly, to speak up when they see something inappropriate by any standard. I wish I had when I first started in VR, but now I believe standing up in VR is more important than anything else there.
With the bad comes the good, and vice versa. Hopefully, over time, things improve, but it’s hard to say. Just like video games, online forums, or Instagram comments, it’s all the same. VR and Meta Horizon are social media platforms just more interactive with voice, body movements, and a feeling in our brains that makes us feel connected.
I want my worlds and others’ worlds to remind players and visitors of what’s good and what’s important in virtual reality. Someone close to me has a young nephew who’s always playing Roblox and talking about it. He’s a growing boy with a big heart. If I had a say in his passion for Roblox, I’d love to make a positive impact in that way. Our worlds can do that for kids and people. Games and hangout spaces go a long way. As creators, just like those in the spotlight of music or film we have a responsibility to the people we influence. I want to do my best to do what’s right through my art.
I look forward to further exploring within Meta Horizon. Now it’s time to charge my Meta Raybans ;).
Cheers!
Matthew aka Pointy
