Note: This post was inspired when I was going through my archives, doing housekeeping on my thumb drive, because someone here once mentioned to me to find my old digital art posts

Ok, this is more of a girls' game, but many MANY years ago, when Facebook just became very popular, I am not sure any ladies out there know about it, I was addicted to this "paper doll concept" game called Make A Baby

I must say at the time, when day job was stressful and being single and hardly any time for friends, the cyber world was just one of my gateways to sanctuary for my tired mind.

And then came this game, it was kind of fun because it was SO CUTE! I myself actually loved anime and I used to help draw a little manga during my high school years I was totally awed by its cuteness.

something I screen captured at the time

You get to pick your baby's skin colour, hair, eyes, clothes; it's like that pc game... what is it again... Ah yes! The Sims , but in a 2D anime version.

You get to "feed" them and "dress" them and "see them grow", your very own human tamagochi . Why did I say that? Because their health bars can go down, etc. So yeah, you get what I mean.

My manga sketch of one of the cute bumble bee designs from the game

I even tried sketching them a little more here and there, but the real fun was when I got to team up with other girls who loved this game and we started role playing our "babies"

From their childhood, to their teenage years, to their adulthood.

And that's where the fun starts.

Every time when we role play something I would pretty much try to "capture" the role play into the image with all the baby's facial expression (through our actions with these digital characters)

Something like this:

an afternoon nap after a story telling time

or this one

A road trip to KL Tower

Note: The Tower is actually my own photo, I just digitalised it to make it "cartoon" to fit the characters in.

It was just becoming more fun and more exciting to try on my Photoshop Elements skills and play around with what I have.

And as the "kids" grow older, it becomes kind of more amusing and exciting because it's like telling our children's lives through our eyes, a parent's tale.

I think this is how every parent feels, no matter how their kids are going to be, they will just have their side of the story to tell through their eyes.

From there I learn to manipulate in layers and get extra effects where usually the default rendered image is unavailable; and it was more positively challenging to make it for my role-playing friends.

And then, I started try to improve them each time we role play.

Using real boat photos and them added the characters in. Story: On a fishing trip

Making photos more vintage and lively

This was made for role play contest prize, if not mistaken

And started with more realistic photos as they "grow up"

Note: Picture setting was actually taken on my way to Hong Kong, modified to suit the role play

And haha, yes, I even created the M.A.B Studio Works "services" out of pure fun.

To one point that I have coined my own style of M.A.B "poked" images, which was quite a hit back then.

It was good fun indeed. Occasionally I still try to poke a photo or two when I feel like it.

And that's how I get to learn a little more digital graphic editing as I go. And because of these role playing games, that got me into the hobby of taking photographs that could either be a background setting that could tell a story.

And that's how I got a D90, and my new journey discovering DSLR begins! (Whenever I have the time)

Sometimes, when you have something that is in your hands, maybe to some people it could just be a waste of time game, it could actually be something good if you know how to use what you have well. Most importantly is to stir it to the positive direction.

 
I have a role play online friend of this game who I still have contact with (and I hope will later join this warm Steemit community) would agree to that. Because of this game and the role playing we started creating "magazines covers" out of fun, and she actually catalysed it to actual photography magazines and she became an excellent professional photographer.

Now this is how you grow where you are planted!

At this point of time she is pre-occupied with family matters, and I am sure when she is ready she will find this is a great creative platform with great fun too!

But we pretty much are too old for role play now. LOL.

I hope you have find this post entertaining and fun reading part of my past.

If you are curious to see my other old works during this fun game's time (some may not be as good as my cherry picked photos here), do comment below!

Thank you for your time

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