As I stood at the beginning of the week, I couldn't shake the feeling of utter perplexity. It was as if I was standing at a fork in the road without a map or compass, clueless about which direction to take. I'd thought that delving into some reading would provide me with guidance, but it backfired, pushing me further into the abyss of confusion. It was as though I'd lost all hope, or at least what remained of it. It was pretty difficult to shake off this feeling, I wasn't sure what led me to feeling this way. Was I burnt out from nothing? And this early? I really felt empty.

Andreas suggested that I start by creating a book that explained what optimistic nihilism was in the form of images. No text, just pictures. This would be good practice for my storytelling skills that I supposedly, apparently possess. So it was time to put it to the test. And what better way to do that than for a presentation I have coming up at DBS! However, I didn’t want to limit myself to just pictures yet. Instead, I wanted to come up with a unique way to present whatever I’ve learnt. The suggestion worked perfectly to my advantage… I could create a storybook and read it out.

To demonstrate some level of technical skill, I chose to make the storybook on Figma and incorporate page-flipping animations to give the book effect. Additionally, I’d insert component animations within the pages that can be interacted with as I read the story. This will keep the presentation interesting and maintain a level of attention with the audience. After all, I do not want it to be a bedtime story. My mentor, Liva, had praised me before for my storytelling skills during the initial presentation I did at the beginning of the internship. I expect myself to do well again.

To start off, I began writing about my experiences sectioned into various themes. For some reason, I find myself being able to imagine clearly through words instead of visual moodboarding/storyboarding. I tend to think about words instead of the visual for most of my work, it helps me to visualise when I am able to write about what I want to make. Knowing this, I should probably do that for my future experiments as well.

Thematically writing my experiences helped me out tremendously, dividing the story into different chapters allowed me to think about how I was going to narrate it.

As a content design intern, I needed to ensure that my points were conveyed succintly and clearly. At the same time, I wanted to use unique metaphors in a way that would make it engaging yet easily understood by the audience. Most importantly, the context mattered and I had to set that straight before proceeding with my story.

I used a 'cap' to represent my development/courage/confidence, it was something relatable and noticeable in the weeks of my internship. In the first few weeks, I was not feeling comfortable with myself. I wore formal wear and was so fixated on looking presentable that I basically wasn't me at all. Eventually, I grew accustomed to the environment and integrated myself well. As that happened, I wore my 'cap' more often. :D This became the title of my storybook.

Everyone was a cat, including me. Simply because I love cats. Cats always have set territories where they stick around, and I found that to be an interesting setting/context I could use for my story. Changing territory was what made me uncomfortable.

With the content all set, it was time to organize it into chapters and pages. Each main point I had would become a chapter, like sections in a book. It felt like putting the pieces of a puzzle together or creating a storyline. The chapters would make the ideas clear and engaging. This process was a mix of excitement and challenge, but I was determined because I wanted my DBS presentation to be special.

When I assigned content to each chapter, I felt a sense of achievement. It was like setting the stage for an exciting adventure.