Some of my fondest memories come from days and nights spent cross-legged, gazing past mere pixels in a bulky TV monitor, watching a virtual story unfold through the movements of my thumbs.

My imagination ran wild within those worlds of Hyrule, the Mushroom Kingdom and yes, even the chaotic and harsh landscapes in games like Earthworm Jim. Each environment lasted far beyond the moment I reset my console and replaced the cartridge, only to transport into another universe. In fact, many of those environments still impact how I observe and interact with the world today, almost two decades later. For me, they have embedded themselves into my identity and continue influence the way I play in and perceive my everyday life.

I was propelled to reflect on this fact after viewing the works of Marie Bergeron, a professional graphic artist and illustrator from Montreal. I had been looking for color palettes on Dribbble but found something more… specifically, this poster which received +4,500 upvotes on reddit.

Shadow of Colossus http://mbstore.bigcartel.com/product/shadow-of-colossus

After looking at more of her work and realizing how influential games had been on her life, I contacted her to explore how that same influence I had as a child transformed into a full-blown passion and career for Marie.

The following is a transcript from an interview (AMA) Marie gifted to the MakerMesh community. I hope you enjoy her answers and find the time to reflect on what has not only inspired you, but has helped you identify yourself in this world.