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How I fight a Creative Block

There has not been a single project that I have worked on where I have not been overcome by a heavy sense of ennui. This barrier of boredom with my project can prevent me from continuing due to sheer creative apathy. I hate these blocks that raise their ugly heads at the most inopportune times, so I have decided to share my favorite means of dispelling them.

Zoom Out: Where am I Going?

You’re probably not going to Australia. But you might be.

What’s the big picture? Where is your mountain that you want to head towards? Oftentimes by taking a macro view of the situation I can see elements in my current project which need to be adjusted or added to get me back on track toward my dreams.

Defining your mountain and getting intense clarification can reignite the motivation that you need to push past the mucky moment for the current creative clod.

Zoom In: What’s the Next Step?

You know what to do: one foot in front of the other!

After thinking about the larger picture, take it to a micro view. What goes on the next page? What needs to be created today? What is the most important thing I can be doing right now? Now that you have an idea of what the complete project will look like, focus on getting that messy first draft out. Breathe and let the final result evolve naturally from here. It will take care of itself, you’re just in charge of the next step.

While I was trying to think of a fitting art theme for my next game, instead of trying to parse every possibility, I began to take action. I needed new ideas so I began looking through independent artists and graphic designers’ portfolios for inspiration. This got me back on track as an actionable first step toward thinking about what I wanted.

Create a deadline.

Don’t just monkey-see monkey-do… monkey-think too.

Sometimes the best inspiration is a last-minute inspiration during a time crunch, where an ambitious deadline serves as a motivator to get that shit accomplished! Deadlines are nothing if we don’t enforce them, so I tell myself things like: If I finish my two priorities for today by dinner, I’ll reward myself with something great afterward like dessert, a fat joint, or a glass of delicious whiskey. Using a carrot/stick approach can be extremely motivating.

Look at my task from an outside perspective.

Switch it up!

The most fun way I have found to bypass the block is to just pretend to be someone else looking at it. Gather your top fictional or historical advisors and tap into their potential. Really put their mind into yours, what do they think of your predicament? What do they think of what you have done so far? It may seem hard to think up someone else’s thoughts on the fly so I recommend keeping a few pictures of your favorite on hand. Two people I use regularly are George Washington and Thomas Edison.

Bring in an Actual Second Brain!

Woohoo! Don’t forget your parachute.

Tell friends or family the situation and ask them for ideas over a beer or glass of warm hot cocoa. Even if they know nothing about the situation, sometimes you merely verbalizing the idea can breathe new life into it.

If all else fails, you can always hire a business coach! They are a cheerleader, advisor and idea machine with the experience and kick in the pants which you need. Give them a call when you’re stuck and that will usually do the trick.

If you’ve picked the right one, you can tell them your worries/fears and current issues and let them swing the bat at the problem. That’s why you hired them, right?

Summary.

It’s time to get to work! Don’t settle for less than the best when you make something. These are all things that work for me, what are some quirky thing that works for you? How do you keep your mind on a project? Comment below.

About our company:

Brotato Games is a new innovative game-creation company dedicated to making games for you and your friends to enjoy. We create fun, unique products like 420 – The Card Game that makes you laugh, think, and stretch your comfort zones. Drop us a line at [email protected] for any questions, comments, or love-notes.

About Eric:

Eric Deegear is an entrepreneur, author, therapist, motivational speaker & business coach. He holds a psychology degree and several therapeutic licenses. After creating and applying successful principles in his personal life, he began to utilize his skills professionally to help those looking to change their lives for the better.

Eric Deegear is also the creator of New Man Revolution, a community-oriented men’s grooming company and Brotato Games, a new innovative game-creation company. He is the creator of 420 – The Card Game and monkey bikinis. Drop him a line for any questions, comments or love-notes.

Best Stoner Weed Games of All Time

Best Stoner Weed Games of All Time

Looking for a great way to have fun while you’re high? Look no further than the list below of the best weed games to play with your friends. These aren’t those stupid Candy Crush rip-off apps or terrible versions of Monopoly or Jenga. This is the real shit.


What does it take to make a great stoner game? You need something that is involving, enjoyable, that can be broken off at any time and is easy to follow. Nobody wants to think that hard while they’re baked, after all.

We have sorted through the handful of weed games that are currently on the market and chosen our favourites. Read on to find out why.

#1: 420 – The Card Game

Alyssa

Welcome to awesomeness, 420 – The Card Game is everything that is great about being high. Food, laughs, crazy antics and deep questions are all rolled up, sealed and lit up in this fresh game from the West Coast.

Built entirely while baked, designed during a few dabs, and trademarked after taking a toke, 420 – The Card Game is the real deal. It’s been described as Cards Against Humanity meets Truth or Dare.

The gameplay is simple: Takes turns playing a question or an action card on each other. If the card you give to someone is answered (question) or performed (action), then they get a point, if they refuse, then you get a point! Whoever gets the point takes a hit. Play to 10 points.

Sounds easy, right? Just wait until you read the cards. 

Want to know more? Check out the new hype video or head over to Amazon.

#2: Weed! – Deluxe Edition

Ever wanted to be a weed farmer? Here’s your chance. Pick a character and grow your garden up to full weed glory. It’s a bit short and the novelty wears off quickly, but it’s an easy game to learn which is always a bonus when creating a game for stoners.

Pretty cheap price for the deluxe version and it makes for a good time when you’re sitting around chilling with your buds. Watch out for Potzilla!

#3: Stoner Fluxx

 

Fluxx on weed! If you enjoy the classic game or other expansions of fluxx as well as a regular toke, you’ll love this fluxx version. Looney Labs has come up with a stoner mod to their rule-breaking series.

You’re lucky it’s on Amazon Prime!

Pro tip: Can be a bit short to play. Mix it with other expansions or the original to stretch the game out!

#4: Cards Against Humanity – Weed Expansion

They’ve done it again, folks. CaH has produced another lovely expansion to their best-selling game. Though not a stand-alone game like the rest of the weed games on this list, it comes in a pseudo weed bag and makes for a fun time. Snatch your copy on Amazon, it’s only $14.49.

This is a welcome addition to the CaH line-up, because let’s face it, Cards Against Humanity has gotten pretty boring lately.

420 – The Card Game (FREE U.S. SHIPPING)

 

About our company:

Brotato Games is a new innovative game-creation company dedicated to making games for you and your friends to enjoy.  We create fun, unique products like 420 – The Card Game that make you laugh, think and stretch your comfort zones. Drop us a line at [email protected] for any questions, comments or love-notes. 420 – The Card Game was also featured on Herb.co’s Top Games to Play on 420

 


This article was written by Eric, with the help of some weed monkeys.

7 Things to Consider Before Starting Your Own Business

7 Things to Consider Before Starting Your Own Business

“The road to success is always under construction. It is a progressive course, not an end to be reached.” 
― Anthony Robbins, Unlimited Power: The New Science Of Personal Achievement

Starting and owning your own business is the dream for many a young lad or lass. The financial freedom, the fame and glory, the hordes of fans eagerly snapping up your every product. But truthfully how easy is it?

The road of entrepreneurship is littered with clever obstacles and sticky traps that try to trip you up as you navigate this deadly terrain. Let’s clear some of the glitter & glammer from our eyes and go over some of the more common things that you need to think about before setting foot into this realm of start-up free-for-all.

1: Market

“A clear description of users — their desires, emotions, the context with which they use the product — is paramount to building the right solution.” 
― Nir Eyal, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products

Is there a need for your product? Who will want to buy it?

Take a harsh look at your product or service that you plan on offering. Would YOU buy it if it was someone else’s invention? Would your family? Better to be brutally honest with yourself before investing time or money into this venture and coming to terms with the disappointing truth later on.

If you can pass this test, then create a customer profile to analyze your customer. Age, sex, location, education and class are just some of the factors that you should consider when drafting this portrait of your ideal buyer or buyers. Best of all would be to find people who fit this demographic and poll them directly about if they could see themselves using your product/service or not. Who knows? You might even be able to shift your product’s direction after some of this feedback.

2: Profitability

“What matters is that you master money and it doesn’t master you. Then you are free to live life on your own terms.” 
― Anthony Robbins, MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom

Are you going to make a profit? How soon? Can you last until you can?

These are the kinds of questions you’ll need to know for the financial side of things. Profit is the fuel that a company needs to grow bigger and prove worth to investors. They want to see the potential for profit, not necessarily immediate profits. Everyone knows that for the first 3 years at least, most of the income generated will be fed right back into the business for continued growth.

Note: Even if your company is non-profit, there will still be bills to cover and staff to hire, so you’re not entirely off the hook there.

 

3: Capital

“Your wealth vanishes, the latest gadgetry suddenly becomes passé, your allies desert you. But if your mind is armed with the art of war, there is no power that can take that away.” 
― Robert Greene, The 33 Strategies of War

Who is funding this business? You? Your family? Uncle Sasquatch?

Write down how much you think you’ll need to run the business for the next 3 years. Good. Now multiply that by 10. This isn’t overkill, it’s the experience of many a budding entrepreneur that the funds dry up before the ambition does. Make sure that you either have a source for additional funding or you have a plan for making some sustainable profits to feed back into the company before the fish goes belly-up.

Taking out loans is a risky alternative, make sure you will have a way to pay them back if things go south with your business. Despite your best intentions, weather, wars and women have ways of crushing the best-laid dreams. Just kidding, women would probably be a part of those dreams.

4: Name

“Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts.” 
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

Names are important. Pick a name that is unique and describes your business unconsciously to the consumer. You wouldn’t pick Shit-Crushers as a restaurant name but, hey, it might make a great moniker for a boot company.

You want something unique, yet instantly familiar and pronounceable. Don’t make things any harder for yourself. For my company, Brotato Games, I chose the Brotato part because it was a unique portmanteau of Bro and Potato, both things dear to my heart. Also, it hadn’t been claimed yet, unlike the first 500 things I thought of.

5: Laws & Regulations

“Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it.” 
― Henry David Thoreau, Journal #14

What do you need to operate this business? What tax files and codes will you have to pour over to make sure the money flows in correctly? It’s important to study up on this stuff beforehand before you’re swamped in E-13’s and W10’s.

Your filing system should be immaculate with every document separated into categories to make things easier to find. Remember that writing as a technology was invented multiple times in order to track land purchases but never stuck around until the ancients also developed a good filing system for their scribblings.

6: Scalability

“A company should limit its growth based on its ability to attract enough of the right people.” 
― James C. Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t

Can this business grow in a healthy way? You don’t want to spurt up too fast and then die because product can’t be fulfilled in time. Timing is everything and your business should have a clear pathway to bigger and better things. You don’t want it to stay small-fry forever.

Make sure that you have a solid plan in place for continued growth of your clientele, hiring of new employees and product expansion otherwise you could be caught with your pants down.

7: Hard Work

“If you try and lose then it isn’t your fault. But if you don’t try and we lose, then it’s all your fault.” 
― Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game

You can only control two things in life: Your attitude and your effort. Effort is key for a new business. You’ll be wearing a lot of hats and juggling positions in the first 3 years of building from the ground up. There will be days when you don’t feel like pushing forward, but those are the most important days. Just remember that just because you don’t FEEL like doing something doesn’t mean that you can’t or shouldn’t. The feeling often goes away as you push forward with the task anyway. Just begin.

Unless you have some partners to help share the load, the bulk of the energy to push your business forward will be generated from you as main mover and shaker. Partnerships, however, are a whole can of worms for another article.

Summary:

So, that’s our main seven: Market, Profitability, Capital, Name, Laws, Scalability & Hard Work. What else is there, you ask? Quite a bit more actually, but 7 had a nice ring to it and my fingers were tired.

Overall, there are a combination of things to consider when creating a self start-up and it’s not a decision made lightly. It will haunt you for the foreseeable future, keep you awake at night, sweating blood & tears, and be the best damn thing you ever set your mind too. It’s totally worth it to follow your dreams rather than someone else’s. That’s what life should be about.

 

About our company:

Brotato Games is a new innovative game-creation company dedicated to making games for you and your friends to enjoy.  We create fun, unique products like 420 – The Card Game that make you laugh, think and stretch your comfort zones. Drop us a line at [email protected] for any questions, comments or love-notes.

 


This article was written by Eric, with the help of some dab monkeys.

Top 4 Things That Define an Entrepreneur

Top 4 Things That Define an Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship is an intricate beast. A juicy blend of chutzpah, backbone & ingenuity, mixed together in a soup of elbow grease. Today we’ll discuss what it means to be an entrepreneur and how you can begin your journey towards that goal. 


What exactly defines an entrepreneur? How is he or she different from your normal office worker?

The word Entrepreneur was brought into the English language by a French economist and translates into English as Adventurer.  Basically, entrepreneurs find new markets where they seize opportunity to make a change or a profit.

Developing the mentality of an entrepreneur is a reward in itself. It leads to a more rewarding personal & professional life and increases your value for those around you, which is part of our message today. Creating a startup is a labor of love, with a heavy focus on the former, and requiring a lot of the latter. But once you get a taste of going down & dirty with your goals & aspirations, you won’t want to work on anything else.

There are the top 4 things that we’ve found that define what it means to be an entrepreneur.

 

1: Examining Beliefs – What is Your Why?

What gets you jumping out of bed first thing in the morning? What is the motivating drive that keeps you going when you’d rather lie down and quit? Ours is simple: Grow in value every single day. Investing in yourself will always pay you back, in more ways than you’ll know.

What if you don’t know your mission statement or personal driving force? That should be the first thing you tackle before heading toward any entrepreneurial venture. Write down your top 5 motivators in life or “Why’s” and go from there. What are you better at than everyone else? What do you have to offer the world? What do you want to be known for after you depart from this earth?

For me, I get up in the morning stoked about my latest project, 420 – The Card Game. Whether it’s shipping out our latest order to a smoke shop or game store, releasing a new hype video or just answering emails, I love growing my business every day in every way.

 

2: Choosing Your Path – Which Way Leads to Your Mountain?

Your mountain is the ultimate destination for your life. Some never reach it, or when they do, another peak looms up before them: a new challenge to conquer. Your goals may be many, but after you choose your Why, there should be a clear mountain to head towards that holds the key to achieving your dreams.

Whenever you get stuck at a crossroads, just zoom out and check your life map. Find where you are, where your mountain is, and what is the best way to get there. For example, we have been contacting retail stores to get them to carry 420 – The Card Game. Unfortunately for them, some of the stores claim to only work with distributors when purchasing games, which gives us at Brotato a dilemma. Do we take the number of the Beast and sign our souls over to the devil to please the current system, or do we forge our way through the independent route, maintaining freedom and lower prices at the cost of some missed sales?

We checked our map and found our mountain: become THE game for smoking and provide enjoyable games for our customers & their friends. Part of enjoyment is a reasonable price, so our direction becomes clear: stay independent and continue to cut out the middleman distributors. It’s an outdated system anyways!

3: Creativity – Can You Think Outside of The Box’s Box?

Expanding your boundaries while maintaining your integrity. This is vital to dominating your marketplace as an entrepreneur. If you’re following the same old hackneyed advice of thinking outside the box, you’re still miles behind. You need to think outside of your box’s box. Every boundary in your mind can be pushed back to reveal new ideas and opportunities. You don’t have to redesign the wheel, just repurpose it.

When creating our card games, we brainstorm about every aspect and what we can do to shuffle the creative juices. Seek inspiration from the most unlikely sources. Work in a tech company? Go out in the wild. Work in the woods? Go to a burgeoning tech conference. Each industry has new and innovative ideas that are just waiting to be transitioned to a different sector. You’ll be surprised when you find the answer to new problems in old places.

 

4: Mentors – Who Can Give You Advice?

 

The first person who comes along isn’t necessarily going to be a good teacher for you. Find someone who is where you want to be and who has the skills or results that you’re ltrying to acquire. Test the ground for possible mentors by hitting them up for their advice on minor things and measure the value of this counsel before seeking their advice in bigger issues.

Knowing your mentor personally isn’t a requirement. I find mentorship all the time in fantastic books such as The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson or Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins. Both of these books are spectacular and contain motivational wisdom stemming from the authors’ experiences in entrepreneurship. You don’t have to know someone by name to gather their knowledge. Just soak in their teachings and imagine what they would tell you to do in any given circumstance.

Summary:

All in all, these four categories: Beliefs, Larger Focus, Creativity and Mentors will help you in your own quest up the mountain of Entrepreneurship. If you have any other areas that you think define Entrepreneurs, feel free to leave a comment below with your suggestion. We’re all ears.

 

About our company:

Brotato Games is a new innovative game-creation company dedicated to making games for you and your friends to enjoy.  We create fun, unique products like 420 – The Card Game that make you laugh, think and stretch your comfort zones. Drop us a line at [email protected] for any questions, comments or love-notes.

 


This article was written by Eric, with the help of some weed monkeys.

Why Cards Against Humanity is Really F**king Boring

Why Cards Against Humanity is Really F**king Boring

Let’s face it. Cards Against Humanity is really f**king boring. Yawn-city. Snooze-ville. Dead in the grave.

“But it’s the top-selling game on Amazon!” You say. Sure, but not for long.

I can’t remember the last time I was with friends and someone wanted to play Cards Against Humanity. It’s no longer relevant.

Here Are the 5 Reasons Why:


5: It’s Old

Yeah, it was fun for the first couple of times, but these days we need new and fresh ideas.

Expansion packs can only delay the inevitable demise of the black and white behemoth. It gets really old quick to read “Helen Keller ate ____ for breakfast.” 6 or 7 times with a new word in the blank. The laughter always comes off pretty forced after the 1st or 2nd round. Not even new expansions can freshen up this ancient rotting heap.

4: Crass is Done

Hur hur, look I made a dick/race joke for the fiftieth time.

Come on.

Someone recently told me that CaH was basically a way for people who are unconfident in making inappropriate jokes to do so backhandedly. Grow up and play a real game that has some meaning.

3: No Imagination

It takes literally zero imagination to play Cards Against Humanity. Zip.

I’ve won with cards that I was tossing out there to just get rid of them. Most times there’s no rhyme or reason as to why someone picks a card. There’s often no logic, it’s usually just the card that everyone laughed at the most. When creating a game you need to think about these sorts of things.

2. They’re Beating a Dead Horse

The premise was okay for the first time and some of the expansions had one or two funny cards but now it’s just stupid. Move on, people. There are plenty of better games out there nowadays.

1. New Games Are Kicking its Burnt-out Ass

What games, you ask? Easy, there is our own 420 – The Card Game, which we don’t mind shilling in here because we made it up specifically because CaH was SO f**king boring now.

You can read more about it here or on Amazon, but suffice it to say that this game will take decades to get old because each new group that it’s played with changes the entire dynamic of the situation.


Want other fun party games? Check out Stoner Fluxx or Drunk Stoned or Stupid

 

 

5 Important Things To Do When Creating A Game

5 Important Things to Do When Creating A Game

What are the most important steps to take when creating a game? What should you focus on? Who can you get to work with you? Here are 5 Important Things to Do When Creating A Game. Whether you’re making a card game, video game or an app, these concepts apply to all and any.


1: Consider Your Audience

Audience - Brotato Games - 420 The Card Game
You probably won’t have this many people playing your game in the beginning.

The first thing I do when creating a game is to think about who is going to be playing it. What are they trying to achieve? For most game players, the answers are pretty simple: To have a good time, to do something with their friends, to experience some friendly (or not so friendly) competition. But what else do they like? You need to put yourself in your user’s shoes and take a walk through their life to see what else inspires them.

Make up a User Description sheet. On it, put some characteristics of your stereotypical gamer and what he or she likes and does during their normal day. For my newest game, 420 – The Card Game, it might go something like this: User: Female, 21-34, actively supports legalization of marijuana, loves hanging out with friends and playing card games on the weekends. How does she hear about new games like mine? What other interests does she have? What kind of websites might she go on where she could hear about my game? Ask yourself these kinds of questions and it can give you greater insight into the mind of your target consumer.

2: Find Your Niche

Find Your Niche - Brotato Games 420 The Card Game
Playing an unplugged electric guitar on a mountain is a great niche

Look at any North Face ad. Snowboarders, Windsurfers, Wingsuiters… Extreme Sports to the max. Yet, arguably 90% of their customer demographics haven’t done anything more extreme than camping for a night or two in a campsite within 20 meters of water and electricity. North Face didn’t become successful by catering to the masses. Instead, they found a niche of adventurers and explorers and directed their focus there. This works on multiple levels. It makes the average customer feel like a badass when they wear North Face products: “I’m an adventurer too!”. Everyone wants to feel like they’re part of an awesome group and if you create brand exclusivity or the appearance thereof, it draws in everyone like moths to a flame.

To create your own type of exclusive experience, think about your target market and their hopes and dreams. Consider their aspirations and how you can create the feeling that your product will help them attain the things they want in life. Attaining your dreams mentally is just as important as attaining them in reality. If you can assist people in gaining happiness and fulfillment through your product, then you’ve gone beyond a mere sale. You’ve helped create an experience.

3: Play Games

Playing Scythe - Brotato Games - 420 The Card Game
Playing Scythe with Friends

Seems simple, right? But just like with any profession, the one who creates the experience or gives the service rarely is on the other side of it. Massage therapists don’t get massages, gym employees don’t work out, and nurses work even while sick. Most game developers are too stuck in their games. They need to get out and continue to experience other people’s work.

This will not only help you relax and de-stress, but it may also give you some new insight into any current problems you’re facing. Examine how you experience the game as a user and try to implement the best parts into your project. This eye-opening roleplaying as a user can bring you leaps and bounds further and shows you firsthand where the demand lies.

4: Detach Yourself from the Game

Detach Yourself - Brotato Games - 420 The Card Game
Also get up and stretch once in awhile

Don’t get too wrapped up in the game’s success/failure. Wait, what? Shouldn’t I be advocating for people to pour themselves into my game? Don’t I want you to try your best at what you’re doing? I do, but you are not your game. Failure or success of your game should not rule your happiness and well-being. You are not your creation. It’s hard when you’ve put a lot of time and energy into making something, just to watch it fail miserably when sees the first light of day. Believe me, I’ve been there.

Detach your sense of self from this game and be willing to make changes if it means a better product. Sometimes game developers can get too attached to a certain form or function of the game, and stubbornly hold on just because they are afraid to change what has become familiar. But those who cannot change, die. Such is the law of game-evolution.

5: Ask What the Reward Is

Success - Brotato Games - 420 The Card Game
*fist bump*

To have a successful game, you need an ending that leaves the user satisfied. Think of any good gaming experience you have had lately. Usually, there is an element to it that stimulated some basic pleasure button within you, whether that was finishing the race in first place, finding every last mission objective or being the last man standing. A good game presses that pleasure button enough during it for you to connect that feeling to the game, but a GREAT game does that and more. A great game instills a hunger for the user to return to play your game again & again. You need to entice your users to keep coming back for that feeling of accomplishment and reward because that creates an active following. There’s nothing better than having an active fanbase within your game to drive its success.

Make sure that your game has clear rewards and goals as well. People love goals in games and achievements that add to their experience. They want to feel as though they are progressing through their environment. There’s nothing more frustrating to a gamer than having to redo something over and over with no light at the end of the tunnel. This statement does not counter the previous sections about returning users. Your users will repeat a level 5,000 times if they are seeing a clear progression in achievements, points, XP, upgrades, etc.

Well, hopefully, this helps you understand a little bit of what goes on behind the scenes when creating a game. Every step is important, and shouldn’t be rushed. Take your time, draw upon your creativity and innovation and remember to use your network. But most of all, have fun!


This article originally appeared on Indie Watch, guest-written by Eric, creator of 420 – The Card Game