This must be the most interesting thread period!
Hope I can add something with my story ^_^
I finance my gaming hobby and overall geekiness by being a photographer by day and a freelance retoucher by night.
Having tried several professions through my youth like cooking or kindergarden teacher I ended up on an art school which mainly focused on painting. I quickly realised that I am a mediocre painter but took the greatest joy in the photography classes and after receiving my average degree I decided to forget about the whole painting thing and started internships/assisting for various photo studios and teaching myself retouching as much as possible.
I eventually ended up receiving a spot for a private photo school in Berlin which sealed the deal for me.
I am very much in love with photography and all things connected to it and can say it is as much a passion as a job can be! *even if the creative business is tuff nowadays and some clients can be complete *****.
Three years ago I made the big decision to leave Germany to experience work & life abroad!
Having received a work scholarship from the European Union helped a lot.
So i ended up in London, mainly due to speaking the language already and fish 'n chips, and i am still here!
My freetime is filled with (sometimes too) many things geeky!
Like most people here I read a lot, and having received a Kindle last year made things worse.
Mainly Sci-Fi, Cyberpunk, Dystopia, Pulp and classic literature to balance things. *Lost count how many time I read Midsummer Night's Dream
On top of that a big comic and illustration fan! Got too many long boxes but toned it down to mainly all things Mike Mignola.
Big sucker for film noir movies and life long Star Wars fan! (Guess my first E:A shows that, hehe)
Recently got heavily into electro swing music.
Also love old 8-bit video games! Still working on that speed run in MegaMan II.
Honouring the honesty other people showed, there are certain things in my life I am not happy with at the moment, but hope to improve!
Friends call me disillusioned about the world we live in and I am afraid I become a bit too sarcastic for my own good.
I don't seem to be able to sustain a relationship for more then 2 years no matter how hard i try. The current downturn of the one i am in right now seems to support that rule.
Turning 30 this year, more and more bacon is adding up around my hips -.-
Contraire to what I said earlier about the passion for my job, I feel a bit stuck in my current work position (studio/digital assistant in an advertisement studio) and looking at the freelance photography business I am worried about being able to sustain a suitable income for me and a future family...
On the other hand, one of my resolutions for 2013 is too work more on my retouching and learn new skills like matte painting or video colour grading and start applying to retouch agencies.
Who knows, maybe I am able to combine work and hobby by doing the retouching for Forgeworld one day
Well, lot's of construction sites in my life beside the hobby for sure!