The Scratch community is home to many talented creators who showcase their unique ideas and skills through programming and innovation. Today, we are fortunate to have with us one of the outstanding members of the community, Awesomeal82. He has not only created numerous impressive projects on the Scratch platform but also won first place in the second SGJ competition on the Gandi IDE platform with his signature project, "Let me cook," making him a highly regarded creator within the community.
Interview with Awesomeal82
Q: Can you introduce yourself? How did you start creating on the Scratch platform?
Awesomeal82: Hi, I'm awesomeal82. I first started using Scratch when I was 10 years old. I got interested in it through a coding program at one of my local libraries.
Q: Have you encountered any challenges during your Scratch journey? How did you overcome them?
Awesomeal82: I've encountered a lot of problems during my Scratch journey, especially since I'm mostly self-taught. Many of my achievements involved a lot of trial and error.
Q: What special experiences or insights have you gained in the Scratch community?
Awesomeal82: Scratch is the first place where I got pretty popular, which helped me get used to being famous on the internet before I moved on to YouTube. So, I do have that to thank Scratch for. :)
Q: Your work "Let me cook" won first place in the second SGJ competition and received widespread acclaim. As a well-known creator in the Scratch community, why did you choose to participate in the SGJ hosted by Gandi IDE? Where did the inspiration for "Let me cook" come from? What was your original expectation for Let 'em Cook?
Awesomeal82: I decided to join the SGJ after I was invited to it on my Scratch profile. I had never done a game jam before and thought it would be a cool challenge to do something with a deadline. "Let 'em Cook" was actually an idea that me and a couple of my online friends thought of when we were given the challenge of making a game using two very different genres.
Q: Over the years of creating, you have gradually developed your unique creative style. Can you introduce some of the frequently appearing characters in your works and videos, such as the "guy with the yellow hair"?
Awesomeal82: For frequently appearing characters, we obviously have our main guy, Al. Al will be the main character of my creations forever. He's a big tough guy with an even bigger heart, and he always appreciates adventures with friends and fighting for what's right for both his world and his community. You can find him in many different art styles, but one thing remains consistent: he always has yellow-orange hair with three hair spikes. Another thing about his hair that I don't really mention very often is that the hair spikes will always face left, no matter where he is facing. :)
Q: Many users in the Gandi IDE community are looking forward to your new works. Do you have any upcoming projects?
Awesomeal82: I've been working on three games consistently, all with unannounced release dates because I'm not very good at sticking to release dates. The one people can look forward to the most is a game called "Creatures Selsulec." It’s a monster-catching game, just like Pokémon, where you catch monsters and use them to battle and play with. I frequently post updates about this game on my YouTube page, which has the same username as I have everywhere else, awesomeal82.
Q: What advice do you have for beginners who want to start creating on the Gandi IDE or Scratch platforms?
Awesomeal82: I think if people want to start using Scratch, Turbowarp, or Gandi IDE, my best advice is to take it easy and find your style before trying to be ambitious about anything. Try making little tests and putting together smaller projects that let you expand your knowledge of coding. Once you know a lot about coding, you can put together a big project that is fun and has lots of gameplay.
Thank you, Awesomeal82, for sharing your stories and insights with us. His creations have not only enriched the Scratch community but also inspired more creators to pursue their dreams and passions. We hope his experiences will provide inspiration and guidance to those exploring the path of creation.
