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Hey Everyone! It's Matt Crux aka Shroomblaze the creator of the Art Deco content creator pack! I sent this story to Paradox and Colossal Order and they suggested that I share it with all of you on the forums.
I first learned about Cities: Skylines when I was browsing the twitch stream channels and noticed a city builder game being played. I knew instantly that I was going to play the game and once I found out that you were going to be able to mod the game I knew I would learn how. I already had been using Photoshop since I was 14 years old and I'm now 30 since this past June 18th. I had to learn 3D Studio Max and so I started watching YouTube videos and making things for the game once it released. I had tons of help from the community at the beginning with how to import things into the game and many issues I had a long the way.
The simple reason why I started working with Colossal Order & Paradox to create a special modding pack was because I had been going through a long depression for about 4 years. I had been modding the game since release and for a full year it had uplifted me greatly, it gave me a sense of purpose to make peoples games more fun and enjoyable. I loved getting comments from people and enjoyed making things just for myself that I wished to use in my own cities. When I got the email to do a collaboration project I did not really know what to think what was going to happen but I knew that I wanted to be apart of it so I signed the NDA. I was more than thrilled when I read about the project idea to do a building pack and I did not have a job and been going through an almost 5 year depression at that point. I choose the Art Deco era because it fascinates me with the lines and curves that create such lovely forms and I know for a fact that it's one of the most desired styles in the community. I want to thank Colossal Order & Paradox greatly for the fruits they have provided my life. In the last 4 months because of this project my life has transformed into something so much greater than what my life was previously before I went into a depression. I finally re-entered society and have begun painting again and showing my work at art shows, learning guitar, singing and more. It feels good to finally connect with people again after so many years of solitude in my room. I just recently went to NYC because of this job and was able to visit my 2 brothers in Buffalo NY and then took a one way to NYC and was a part of NYC Body Painting Day there.
It's been great since I've started working on this project. My life has opened up to unlimited possibilities and I have been developing myself more and more each day. I've currently created my website http://www.PhoenixLove.net to sell my paintings and am creating a Youtube channel for my art and music. Please I graciously ask that you check out my gallery of paintings that I created before and after my depression. http://phoenixlove.net/gallery/matt-crux/
Here are just two of my latest paintings titled "Death Star" & "Sun Atom"
I've been a community leader for this game for a while in my opinion. For a long time I would connect with other popular modders and communicate with them about projects they were working on and helping with feedback. Providing my own constructive criticism on the game when it needed it, to make it better, to see it grow and become something greater than it is now through a strong community and developer. I took the time to make a tutorial guide for people to get into 3D Modeling and modding a short while after the game came out because I wanted to help people and help the game. That tutorial guide now has over 72,000 views. Here's a link to it...
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...a-model-into-game-ready-asset-3ds-max.857689/
Then back in the later part of last year I got together with some of the more popular modders and we worked on a collaborative effort to build another guide that focused on principles and issues that might occur when creating mods. Here's the link to that guide...
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=500036497
So doing a collaborative with CO & Paradox seemed to fit perfectly with my life. I'm no stranger to doing collaborative art with people. Here is some of the art I've done with people in the past...
http://phoenixlove.net/gallery/matt-crux/collaboration-art/
I even have a vision of opening recreational art centers in the future where people can come in and paint for free, play music as well as do other activities. Have classes on yoga, meditation, dancing, learn how to crystal wrap jewelry, learn about proper diet and exercise, as well as much more. I will create these art centers so people can rediscover themselves by finding their own creative ability and power so they can transform their lives in a more positive direction and understanding of who they are as a human. I'm looking to get people back into socializing and not being fearful of communicating with strangers. Once you can get past talking to random people and not being fearful the doors begin to open and you quickly realize that there is nothing stopping you from creating your highest vision into a full fledged reality.
If you would like to read more about my Phoenix Love vision and donate then check out my about page on my website here. http://phoenixlove.net/about/
You can read more about my recent story about what happened to me before and after my depression at one of my blog posts here. http://phoenixlove.net/2016/12/12/phoenix-loves-first-message/
Free Chirpy Wallpapers!!!!
I would just like to give a BIG thank you to Paradox Interactive and Colossal Order for developing and producing the game Cities Skylines! Without their game I would not be where I am today. It was through their game that I was allowed to get out of my depression, be creative again and live my life to the fullest. Being given the opportunity to make an Art Deco Content Pack for the game and earn money let me finally get my own place and develop a business of my own. PhoenixLove.net will be the platform to propel other artists and authors dreams to higher states of elevation! I made these sweet Chirpy wallpapers using Illustrator and incorporating words that relate to the game and fonts that relate to the words. So please download and enjoy at your leisure! Thank You Everyone who has helped me get this far in life, including all the fans that have supported me. I will be back soon uploading free content for the workshop, I took a long absence to re-evaluate and re-organize my life. So keep a look out and enjoy the freebies! Visit my blog post on my site to download the wallpapers! http://phoenixlove.net/2016/12/12/thank-paradox-interactive-colossal-order-chirpy-wallpapers/
I first learned about Cities: Skylines when I was browsing the twitch stream channels and noticed a city builder game being played. I knew instantly that I was going to play the game and once I found out that you were going to be able to mod the game I knew I would learn how. I already had been using Photoshop since I was 14 years old and I'm now 30 since this past June 18th. I had to learn 3D Studio Max and so I started watching YouTube videos and making things for the game once it released. I had tons of help from the community at the beginning with how to import things into the game and many issues I had a long the way.
The simple reason why I started working with Colossal Order & Paradox to create a special modding pack was because I had been going through a long depression for about 4 years. I had been modding the game since release and for a full year it had uplifted me greatly, it gave me a sense of purpose to make peoples games more fun and enjoyable. I loved getting comments from people and enjoyed making things just for myself that I wished to use in my own cities. When I got the email to do a collaboration project I did not really know what to think what was going to happen but I knew that I wanted to be apart of it so I signed the NDA. I was more than thrilled when I read about the project idea to do a building pack and I did not have a job and been going through an almost 5 year depression at that point. I choose the Art Deco era because it fascinates me with the lines and curves that create such lovely forms and I know for a fact that it's one of the most desired styles in the community. I want to thank Colossal Order & Paradox greatly for the fruits they have provided my life. In the last 4 months because of this project my life has transformed into something so much greater than what my life was previously before I went into a depression. I finally re-entered society and have begun painting again and showing my work at art shows, learning guitar, singing and more. It feels good to finally connect with people again after so many years of solitude in my room. I just recently went to NYC because of this job and was able to visit my 2 brothers in Buffalo NY and then took a one way to NYC and was a part of NYC Body Painting Day there.
It's been great since I've started working on this project. My life has opened up to unlimited possibilities and I have been developing myself more and more each day. I've currently created my website http://www.PhoenixLove.net to sell my paintings and am creating a Youtube channel for my art and music. Please I graciously ask that you check out my gallery of paintings that I created before and after my depression. http://phoenixlove.net/gallery/matt-crux/
Here are just two of my latest paintings titled "Death Star" & "Sun Atom"
I've been a community leader for this game for a while in my opinion. For a long time I would connect with other popular modders and communicate with them about projects they were working on and helping with feedback. Providing my own constructive criticism on the game when it needed it, to make it better, to see it grow and become something greater than it is now through a strong community and developer. I took the time to make a tutorial guide for people to get into 3D Modeling and modding a short while after the game came out because I wanted to help people and help the game. That tutorial guide now has over 72,000 views. Here's a link to it...
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...a-model-into-game-ready-asset-3ds-max.857689/
Then back in the later part of last year I got together with some of the more popular modders and we worked on a collaborative effort to build another guide that focused on principles and issues that might occur when creating mods. Here's the link to that guide...
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=500036497
So doing a collaborative with CO & Paradox seemed to fit perfectly with my life. I'm no stranger to doing collaborative art with people. Here is some of the art I've done with people in the past...
http://phoenixlove.net/gallery/matt-crux/collaboration-art/
I even have a vision of opening recreational art centers in the future where people can come in and paint for free, play music as well as do other activities. Have classes on yoga, meditation, dancing, learn how to crystal wrap jewelry, learn about proper diet and exercise, as well as much more. I will create these art centers so people can rediscover themselves by finding their own creative ability and power so they can transform their lives in a more positive direction and understanding of who they are as a human. I'm looking to get people back into socializing and not being fearful of communicating with strangers. Once you can get past talking to random people and not being fearful the doors begin to open and you quickly realize that there is nothing stopping you from creating your highest vision into a full fledged reality.
If you would like to read more about my Phoenix Love vision and donate then check out my about page on my website here. http://phoenixlove.net/about/
You can read more about my recent story about what happened to me before and after my depression at one of my blog posts here. http://phoenixlove.net/2016/12/12/phoenix-loves-first-message/
Free Chirpy Wallpapers!!!!
I would just like to give a BIG thank you to Paradox Interactive and Colossal Order for developing and producing the game Cities Skylines! Without their game I would not be where I am today. It was through their game that I was allowed to get out of my depression, be creative again and live my life to the fullest. Being given the opportunity to make an Art Deco Content Pack for the game and earn money let me finally get my own place and develop a business of my own. PhoenixLove.net will be the platform to propel other artists and authors dreams to higher states of elevation! I made these sweet Chirpy wallpapers using Illustrator and incorporating words that relate to the game and fonts that relate to the words. So please download and enjoy at your leisure! Thank You Everyone who has helped me get this far in life, including all the fans that have supported me. I will be back soon uploading free content for the workshop, I took a long absence to re-evaluate and re-organize my life. So keep a look out and enjoy the freebies! Visit my blog post on my site to download the wallpapers! http://phoenixlove.net/2016/12/12/thank-paradox-interactive-colossal-order-chirpy-wallpapers/
- 19
As an asset creator I'm greatful for the guides and tutorials you've made and collected, as they made my debut into 3D modelling less painful and have helped me improve. 
