I sit here, older and hopefully wiser than before, reflecting on just how big of a part Scratch had and has on my life. I don't know if I will ever forget it. Scratch was half of my life during the pandemic. To me, it was more valuable than online classes. Fostering this little community I had created with myself and the people around me felt so special. To think that Scratch is this little enclosed community where kids can thrive and create and be a part of something is so interesting to me. Sure, a lot of the projects on here might be called cringe-God knows I think that of my old stuff- but it's an almost raw embodiment of the emotions and effort of these kids. 10 or 11 year old me (I don't remember) was so excited when I got to 200 followers on here, because I worked so hard for it. Sure, it doesn't mean much to have a following on Scratch, but the fact that I could see a direct representation of my work in the influence it had on other people was genuinely mindblowing. But it also got me into things that I wouldn't be interested in without Scratch: coding, game design, and more. I have whole papers, notes, and new phrases created just to document my studies on the elements of effective atmosphere in videogames. So, Scratch has opened up a door in my life which previously would remain closed. I think that's so precious. Thank you, each of my 214 followers. This is not a goodbye, though. I have one project that has needed a thumbnail for a year, and possibly some other stuff relating to game design and my endeavors there. See you next time I remember to check in, -N
