01/01/2025
2024 will forever be a year to remember for me, so if you have time to spare, come along the journey through this past year.
While I have been a 3D printing enthusiast for years, it was mostly printing random things here and there and more tinkering (maybe fighting is more accurate here?) with an old Ender clone than actually printing.
That all changed when I purchased the Bambu Lab P1S in the end of 2023. The ease of use and advanced features completely changed how I viewed this hobby and how I used my machine. 3D printing was no longer a chore or stressful, but easy and enjoyable. This change is what actually led me into learning how to be a designer.
Before, I would print things that looked cool or funny or useful that others had created, but in December of 2023 that changed. After a random conversation with my wife about music, she let me know one of her favorite songs was a song called "Earth Angel" and I was immediately inspired to try to create something special for her for Christmas 2023.
I spent countless hours drawing out a design on paper, getting help from my friend who is an artist to make it look good, and then stumbling around YouTube for Fusion 360 tutorials until I finally was able to create something so simple. But even as simple as it was, seeing my wife's reactions when she opened her gift and realized that I created something physical and tangible that had never existed before, right in our living room, was all I needed to know I wanted to do more. So I did.
Over the past year I have continued to dive into YouTube tutorials, learning anything I can about 3D modeling. I have spent hours and hours drawing random sketches, making simple shapes, printing gifts for the holidays, failing over and over again, but taking in as much information as I could to improve at each step, with each session, with each design.
I started to look into the contests on MakerWorld to find themes that I thought I could participate in as a way to push myself to learn new things. I entered into several of them over 2024 and achieved amazing results on my designs like my Pill Organizer, various Kit Cards, Leaning Tower of Pisa Lamp, Pokémon Deck Boxes, and so many more. I was even lucky enough to win a participation award!
Seeing the reaction the community has had to my ideas and my creations has been everything. Getting so much positive feedback and having so many people enjoy what I have created this year is a feeling that will never go away.
And one of the best things of all is not having to worry about my 3D printer. Not have to babysit my prints each time, worrying if something is going to go wrong or if I used the wrong settings. Being able to focus on designing, creating, and sharing without spending hours fussing with my machine has been the biggest contributing factor to my success.
I've even expanding from my original P1S to an X1C and an A1 Mini for my daughter, who loves to print all the toys.
So thank you to Bambu Lab for the work you have put into everything from your printers, to MakerWorld, to Bambu Handy, and all the other programs you offer for creators and consumers.
And thank you to everyone who has viewed my models, downloaded and printed my models, shared my models. To everyone who supports me on Patreon. To everyone in this community.
Here is to 2024, and here is to an even better 2025 🍻
