About Colby Dunn
More about me
You could say I am a jack of all trades. Like…I do a lot of different stuff. Are they hobbies? Yes. Are they my job? Also yes. You see, life is about so much more than chasing success. Ultimately, my true passion is being creative and making things to entertain, teach, and inspire more creativity in others and if there’s anything I find that piques my interest, I study and pursue it. This world is packed full of an infinite amount of amazing things to learn and through exploring everything it has to offer, our bounaries expand, our limitations dissolve and we can truly become the people we were supposed to be and get the most out of life. Here are some things I do:
Write! Currently, I am a writer for Pathea Games, a video game studio where I help build characters and plots for players to explore. I have also been an author since 2010 and although I have a huge range of ideas spanning multiple genres and have written comedy, general fiction, shorts, etc., my specialty is epic fantasy. I inject into my novels elements of my other passions like the pace and adventurous spirit of Japanese RPG video games, or the intricacies of combat derived from my study of the martial arts.
Speaking of martial arts, I started out with the Japanese sword in the styles of Iaido (the art of the draw), and Kendo/Kenjitsu (Japanese fencing). As much as I loved these, it’s not socially acceptable to carry a katana when running to get milk so I took up one of the oldest and purest styles in 2009: Shaolin Kung Fu. Over the years I trained hard and started teaching it as my understanding deepened. Since then I have taught in both a studio and private setting to both children and adults.
Language also intrigues me and I sometimes struggle to keep two in my head! I learned Japanese shortly after high school when I took a two-year hiatus from life from 2004-2006 to preach Christianity in Sendai, Japan on a proselyting mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. There aren’t many opportunities to use Japanese in Midwestern USA, but I try and keep up with my skills by watching films and playing video games in Japanese.
Video games are, and have always been, a huge part of my life. Like most, I started in the 80’s with the OGs like Super Mario and Tetris but my true passion is in story-driven RPGs, particularly in the medieval fantasy genre if you couldn’t guess. Games like Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, and the Legend of Zelda are really what planted the seeds of storytelling in my heart at a very early age. I now run a gaming Youtube channel focused on nostalgia, gaming news, discussions, and the like. Make sure you subscribe so you can join in on all the fun!
Somehow along the way, card magic became a thing. I’ve had many teachers, online and offline instruct me in its secrets and it’s been fun to perform amongst family, friends, co-workers, and on the street. Most of all, I love the smiles it brings to people’s faces. It’s a fun and easy way to make someone’s day brighter. Maybe even yours if you wanna check some of my performances out.
Then there’s my art…one of my earliest passions! Throughout my young life I was sure I wanted to to draw for a living but when I got my first gig illustrating a children’s book in college, I quickly realized I hated being told what to draw and stepped out of the arena, pocketing my art as simply a hobby instead, though it’s continued to come in handy across multiple creative projects.
But not everything I do is sitting at a desk or staring at a screen. I am also a huge lover of the outdoors. Camping, backpacking, hiking, and exploring the many grand vistas of Utah is a passion of mine, especially when I can pack along a gun and get some target practice in.
Something I’m not great at but love to do is play music. I started learning the Scottish Highland Bagpipes way back in 2002 but eventually decided to trade in my full set of pipes for an electronic bagpipe– a more casual option that allowed me to keep learning and toying with it while not having to worry about upkeep or lung training. They are also easier to play with other instruments as the key can be changed to your liking.
Since then, I have also picked up electric guitar which has enabled me to more fully explore my love for rock and roll and heavy metal. Anything from Goo Goo Dolls and Journey, to Metallica and Iron Maiden…I’ll try and play it! Nowadays…the kids are even getting in on the action!
As far as family goes, I currently live in Salt Lake City, Utah with my wife, Lola who settled for me pretty hard. We were married in 2009 and since then have created three spawns- two girls and a boy, who bring us equal measures of joy and mania. We are all a huge family of nerds. We love gaming, reading, writing, movies, board games, and going on adventures together!
