Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

Sword Play

with Zach
11 Jun 2026 4 min read 52m
TL;DR

Zach shares the story of proposing during a cosmic event—a moment that required perfect timing and emotional vulnerability. He also discusses the creative process behind designing a trading card game, revealing how passion projects can evolve into something uniquely personal.

Key Moments
Zach
“I proposed underneath a cosmic event, and I was so nervous because I didn't know if she would say yes.”
Zach describes the emotional weight of his proposal moment timed with a celestial occurrence
Conan
“So you planned this whole thing around the cosmos? That's incredibly romantic but also incredibly risky.”
Conan responds to Zach's proposal story, highlighting the boldness of timing romance with a cosmic event
Zach
“I wanted to design a trading card game that felt personal, something that nobody else could make.”
Zach explains his motivation for creating his own trading card game rather than playing existing ones
Conan
“You're an animator and a game designer? How do you even have time to sleep?”
Conan jokes about Zach's multiple creative pursuits and their time demands
Zach
“Growing up in Ohio, I never had exposure to this world, but animation and games became my escape.”
Zach reflects on how his Midwestern upbringing shaped his path toward creative industries
About Zach
›
Zach is an animator from Ohio who recently experienced a life-changing moment proposing to his partner underneath a cosmic event. Beyond romance, he's deeply invested in game design and has created his own trading card game from scratch. His work spans both digital animation and tabletop game mechanics, reflecting a creative versatility across mediums.
Takeaways
1
Personal creative projects emerge from unmet market needs Rather than consuming existing trading card games, Zach designed his own to express something the market wasn't offering. This mirrors how many successful indie creators and entrepreneurs identify gaps between what exists and what they personally want to create.
2
Geographic isolation can accelerate creative self-direction Growing up in Ohio without immediate exposure to animation and gaming communities, Zach developed his own creative voice rather than copying established styles. Constraint-driven creativity—whether geographic or resource-based—often produces more distinctive work than proximity to existing hubs.
3
Timing personal moments with cosmic events requires meticulous planning Zach's proposal strategy demonstrates how creators think about synchronization between human intention and natural phenomena. This approach—coordinating emotional milestones with external events—applies to product launches, campaign timing, and experience design where external validation amplifies personal moments.