Shawn Olson Creative Arts

Art, Poetry, Photography, Writing and 3D

Hayden Opening Book
Liquid 6teen
Cougar Photo

Greetings Earthling. Welcome to my creative portal. My name is Shawn Olson. I'm a creative jack-of-all trades who has years of experience in 3ds Max, game development, web development, journalism, photography, graphics and parenting. You may know me as a technical artist for Black Mesa or as the developer of Wall Worm if you came here as a game developer. I now also work on USD workflows and capabilities in 3ds Max and Maya at Autodesk. All opinions here are my own.

If you need help with any of these things, then I'm your guy:

  • Problem Solving
  • 3D Environments
  • 3D Assets
  • 3ds Max pipelines
  • Game Design
  • Documentation
  • Journalistic Coverage
  • Application Education
  • Web Application Development

If you must know more about me, feel free to read A Short Biography. But more importantly, enjoy the various photos, poems, editorials and scripts across the site.

I always enjoy feedback from visitors. Feel free to send me an email with any comments, ideas, praise, criticism or corrections. Of course you can always interact with me on the Wall Worm forums or other 3D forums where I haunt.

Latest Articles

The Price of Learning: Gradecard Dilemma

Posted on Oct 19, 2002 | Last Updated Aug 16, 2013

There is a paradox concerning a parent's push for good grades. The kids don't care about learning.

Read More

misplaced values in education, gradecard dilemma

America’s New War

Posted on Oct 19, 2002 | Last Updated Oct 30, 2011

A reaction to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America, written shortly after the attacks.

Read More

terrorism, america's new war

Houdini & Thurston

A short contrast of Howard Thurston and Harry Houdini
Posted on Oct 19, 2002 | Last Updated Oct 30, 2011

Comparing America magicians Harry Houdini and Howard Thurston.

Read More

harry houdini, ehrich weiss, howard thurston, magicians, skepticism

The Paradox of Cultural Relativism

Posted on Oct 19, 2002 | Last Updated Oct 30, 2011

An skeptical essay on the paradox of cultural relativism when taken to an extreme. My stance is that cultural relativism is only valid in a limited scope and should not be used to justify barbaric and supertitious societies.

Read More

cultural relativism, paradoxical relativism

Psychics and Statistics

Posted on Oct 19, 2002 | Last Updated Sep 26, 2015

What happens when a Carl Sagan fan meets with person with psychic ability.

Read More

paranormal ability, psychics, pseudoscience, statistics, logic

The mind and body

Posted on Oct 19, 2002 | Last Updated Oct 30, 2011

Why we need to exercise both mind and body.

Read More

mind body, dualism

The Public Disdain for Science

Posted on Oct 19, 2002 | Last Updated Oct 30, 2011

An essay about common public opinion towards science.

Read More

science in the public

Junk Food won’t make you Chuck

Posted on Oct 19, 2002 | Last Updated Oct 30, 2011

A review of musical group Chuck's Junk by Shawn Olson, originally in the Westside Messenger.

Read More

chucks junk, chuck's junk, music, junk food, chunk music, westside messeng

The nature of apathy

Posted on Oct 19, 2002 | Last Updated Oct 30, 2011

To be apathetic is to invite entropy, says Olson. How do we deal with it?

Read More

apathy, entropy, progress, decay

Everything Fades

Posted on Oct 19, 2002 | Last Updated Oct 30, 2011

A poem on losing someone close. I wrote it in memory of my Grandfather Clarence Himes.

Read More

loss sadness, death, mourning loss, family death
Wall Worm plugins and scripts for 3ds Max