I learned the meaning of the term "paper awesome" while reading Gamasutra's article on commonly used phrases in the culture of game studios. At the time, I was at college trying to fulfill a lifelong dream to become a Game Designer; but I was thrown for a loop when I came across one particular phrase:

For some reason, that definition really hit home- maybe because it described my current level of ability better than I ever wanted to admit. I realized that despite spending the past several years of my life studying Video Game Design, I was still nowhere close to being able to implement all of the crazy, ambitious ideas my head was crammed full of. The only thing I was capable of doing was put them down on paper- which meant that in the video game industry, a guy like me would only be a burden to others. Evidently, in my chosen field ideas were a dime a dozen; without the skills to bring any of my ideas to fruition, I would never be able to make it anywhere in game design.

That thought haunted me for a long time. As I trudged through my final year at school, I grew increasingly pessimistic of my chances for fulfilling my dream of becoming a Game Designer, and I worried what my future career prospects would look like when I graduated. Eventually I came to the realization that I simply didn't have what it takes to make it in the games industry. What terrified me most about that prospect was that it meant the bulk of my college education had essentially been wasted. As I wrestled with the reality of my situation, I became more and more depressed. My future looked bleak.

Then I thought....