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Blogocentric Formulations #1110335 added March 10, 2026 at 3:51pm
Restrictions: None
Racecars and Rolling Dice
Prompt ▶︎
Prompt #19: Who inspires you? Give a quick overview of the person and why you find them so compelling.
I find myself inspired by a lot of people across a lot of different domains. At the moment, the two people that come to mind — in very different areas — are Lewis Hamilton and Brennan Lee Mulligan.
Lewis Hamilton is a Formula 1 driver for Ferrari this year. Last year was his first year with the Italian constructor and, to say that he had an awful year would be an understatement. He's been driving for twenty seasons and is the most decorated driver in Formula 1 history, but last year was his first year without a podium (i.e., finishing first, second, or third in a race) and, in a lot of cases, he was qualifying and starting races in a way lower position than he's accustomed to. It's also the longest stretch a Ferrari driver has gone without securing a podium since joining the team. Toward the end of last year, his media appearances were almost painful to watch; you could just tell he was so dejected and pessimistic about the decision to change teams.
This past weekend was the first Grand Prix of the 2026 season and Lewis finished fourth. Just shy of the podium, but his race pace looked good and he seemed genuinely happy with his performance. During media appearances after the race, he seemed more upbeat than he has been in a while, and admitted that he spent a lot of time over the winter break getting into a better head space. I definitely find myself inspired by the fact that he's performed at the top of his field for almost two decades, and still has the mental resilience to continue to push himself to not just perform, but to come back from discouraging circumstances. With all he's accomplished, it'd be easy to say, "You know what? I'm done. I'm going to go enjoy life as a retired forty-something multimillionaire." And instead he's still out there on track, pushing to be the best.
Brennan Lee Mulligan is an improv actor and professional Game Master in the liveplay TTRPG space. He regularly runs games for Dimension 20, and is running Campaign 4 for Critical Role after a number of turns guest starring as both a Game Master and player. There are a lot of people who will say that Critical Role's regular Game Master (Matthew Mercer) is the best GM in the business, but for my money, it's Brennan. Matt is absolutely fantastic as a worldbuilder and a character actor, but Brennan's improv background allows him to surprise players with both story and comedic moments that are truly delightful surprises.
Matthew Mercer is the kind of GM that I aspire to be in my own games. So supremely confident with his storytelling and his performances; he's able to create a vibrant and ever-changing world for his players and he's the kind of GM I could imagine myself becoming with years (or decades, more likely!) of practice and additional learning. Brennan, on the other hand, is the kind of GM that I know I'll never be, because what he does is just so beyond my own abilities. But that's also what makes him so entertaining to watch, because liveplay TTRPGs are a different beast than home games played with friends around your own table, and Brennan gets how to entertain an audience. |
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