The DeviantArt Era (2003–2011)

Before the qualifications, professional design work, marketing campaigns and game development, there was DeviantArt.

Growing up with undiagnosed autism and ADHD wasn't always easy. I often struggled with things that seemed to come naturally to other people, and those difficulties weren't always understood.

I was frequently told that I was intelligent but didn't apply myself, that I was slow, or that I wouldn't amount to much if I didn't try harder. What people didn't necessarily see was that I was trying. I just didn't always understand why my mind seemed to work differently.

Creativity became my outlet.

It was somewhere I could experiment, explore ideas and express myself without needing to fit into someone else's expectations. Whether I was working with Photoshop, creating digital artwork, experimenting with website layouts or making graphics for online communities, I could lose myself in the process of creating something.

I remember thinking to myself:

"When I find that one thing I'm good at, you'll all see."

Looking back, I recognise that there was a lot of frustration behind those words. I wanted to prove that I was capable of something, that I wasn't defined by the things I struggled with or by what other people thought my future would look like.

Under the name Neo Android, I spent years creating artwork inspired by anime, video games, fantasy, music and whatever else caught my imagination.

Some of it is wonderfully dated now. The dramatic lighting, excessive textures, elaborate typography and an almost criminal enthusiasm for Photoshop blending modes are very much products of their time.

But I wouldn't change them.

These pieces represent a period when I was discovering what I enjoyed, developing skills through experimentation and finding confidence in my own creativity.

Today, I've gone on to study graphic design, graduate with First Class Honours in Digital Marketing, work professionally in creative and digital roles, and pursue a master's degree in Games and Extended Reality.

But the most interesting thing about looking back at this work isn't how much I've achieved since.

It's realising that I didn't need to wait until I found something I was good at. I was already learning, experimenting and creating all along.

I just couldn't see it yet.

This archive is a little tribute to that younger version of me, to the online communities that encouraged creativity, and to the beginning of a journey I'm still figuring out.

And perhaps a reminder that sometimes the things we struggle with don't tell the whole story of what we're capable of becoming.