ABout Me
Diving into tech.
My journey began much like those depicted in tech movies. I was a young boy with a passion for anime and an aspiration to become a computer expert, even though I lacked a clear roadmap to achieve it. I embarked on my creative path by creating 2D animations on my Android phone, utilizing the Drawing cartoons 2 application. Unfortunately, I clumsily shattered the screens of two Android phones, prompting my father to gift me my first tablet. As you might anticipate, history repeated itself, as I continued to produce numerous mini animations but inadvertently broke the tablet's screen as well.
One year after the tablet's screen was shattered, my dad presented me with another android phone and a laptop. I still recall the laptop vividly; it was a Zed Air. If only you could have witnessed the joy and excitement I felt, as I knew I was about to embark on a thrilling tech adventure. Armed with the laptop, I knew that the era of 2D animations in my life had come to a close, paving the way for my exploration of Blender — an open source software for creating 3D animations. I immersed myself in countless tutorials, dedicating hours, days, and months to learning the intricacies of 3D animation. Tasks such as modeling, sculpting, rigging, texturing, fluid simulations, and lighting became my daily challenges.
Despite dedicating months to studying 3D animation, I had yet to reach the level of creating my favorite cartoon movies, such as Shrek or the 2D Tom and Jerry. However, those months were far from wasted. During that time, I acquired the skills to model simple characters, rig them, and animate fundamental movements like waving and walking.
Meeting Python and HTML
During my time using Blender, I encountered references to Python and C++ whenever I hovered over certain buttons. Intrigued by this, I turned to my older brother for clarification, and he enlightened me that they were programming languages. Admittedly, at that point, I had no understanding of what that truly meant. As weeks went by, an uncle of mine came to visit, and he was thrilled to learn of my newfound interest in technology and animation. After showcasing my animation skills to him, he introduced me to something that would ultimately alter the trajectory of my life.
Using only HTML and CSS, my uncle created a web page, utilizing nothing more than Notepad. Prior to that moment, I had solely used Notepad for jotting down rough ideas. Witnessing the web page he developed was akin to witnessing magic unfold before my eyes. It was an entirely new experience for me, and as you can imagine, it had a profound impact on my trajectory. I abandoned animation and dedicated all my free time to delving into this enchanting realm. Over the course of a year, I immersed myself in learning HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap CSS. To strengthen my skills, I began designing anything that sparked my imagination—a book cover, a movie poster, or even images sourced from the internet. Unbeknownst to me, my passion for web design consumed the majority of my time, and I found myself utterly addicted to it.
My intense fascination with HTML and CSS propelled me towards a voracious appetite for learning all things programming-related. I delved into JavaScript, PHP, Python, Java, Android development, and even explored various CSS frameworks, although I seldom utilize them now. However, as you wisely acknowledge, no knowledge is truly wasted. Example of such is the flexbox utility in CSS.
Mastering the x, y, and z axes in animation proved to be immensely beneficial when it came to understanding and utilizing Flexbox in CSS. The concept of positioning elements along different axes was already familiar to me, making it easier to grasp and implement Flexbox techniques seamlessly.
I could not study everything
I had to specialize
After careful contemplation that spanned several weeks, I came to the realization that true mastery of this vast field required specialization in a few select technologies and choosing a specific niche. With this understanding, I made the decision to focus on web development, with a particular emphasis on utilizing PHP and its associated frameworks for backend development. Years were dedicated to studying and honing my skills within this chosen stack. Only after achieving a solid foundation did I venture into learning other technologies, with the goal of becoming a competent full stack developer.