The Lion's Song made me want to create. I want to write and draw, I want to start learning the piano again, I want to sing and explore and express.

Even though it's hard and it hurts and it sucks.

Rather than romanticising the art or artists themselves, The Lion's Song focused more on the pain and exhaustion that goes into creation. And yet, it does this without succumbing to the "tortured genius" myth - at least , most of the time.

It makes you linger in the moments before and during creation rather than the glamorous aftermath. You stay with these characters as they struggle to pull something out from within themselves and make it into art, as they search for inspiration and are pained with self-doubt.

We get to follow as they use all of that ache to pull through and actually make something. A haunting symphony, a beautiful portrait, a ground-breaking theory.

So much media revolves around creators without actually bothering with the act of creation itself, but that's exactly what The Lion's Song is interested in exploring. And it's one of the most artistically rich and inspiring games because of it.

Also, that moment when SPOILERS Em uses math to prove that non-binary gender identities are real was so gay and wonderful.