{"id":1352,"date":"2025-07-27T17:55:34","date_gmt":"2025-07-27T09:55:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jemmarieann.com\/portfolio2015\/?p=1352"},"modified":"2025-07-27T17:55:35","modified_gmt":"2025-07-27T09:55:35","slug":"starry-eyes-expanding-skies-a-letter-to-my-17-year-old-self","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jemmarieann.com\/portfolio2015\/starry-eyes-expanding-skies-a-letter-to-my-17-year-old-self\/","title":{"rendered":"Starry Eyes & Expanding Skies: A Letter to My 17-Year-Old Self"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A piece of a long journey on how I Found Purpose Through Curiosity, Challenges, and Creativity<\/em><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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If you told my 17-year-old self what I\u2019d be doing now\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eh\u2014she\u2019d probably be too scatterbrained to even listen.<\/strong> She\u2019d be cramming for some exam, sketching anime characters, or wondering how Naruto would end (\u2026turns out now we have Boruto<\/em>). She wouldn\u2019t have guessed that one day, I\u2019d be leading creative teams, pitching brand strategy, or giving talks to young creatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And honestly? Neither did I.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Dream Was Simple\u2026 Until Life Happened<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Back then, I was a starry-eyed kid who thought life was simple. Study hard. Get a job. Get rich.<\/strong> That was the dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I did<\/em> know was this: I wanted to pursue the arts. I wanted to draw, create, and maybe\u2014somehow\u2014make a living doing what I loved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my final year of high school, I took entrance exams at UP (Fine Arts), Ateneo (Information Design), and iAcademy. Then, almost by chance, I discovered Multimedia Arts at De La Salle\u2013College of Saint Benilde<\/strong>\u2014thanks to a DeviantArt friend who was already studying there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That discovery changed everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Discovering My Path (Even When It Wasn\u2019t Clear)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Multimedia Arts opened up an entirely new world. 2D, 3D, photography, video, design, web, and even coding.<\/strong> I was overwhelmed\u2014in the best way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But by second year, everything almost fell apart. We were facing financial challenges at home, and for a time, it felt like I might have to give it all up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, a miracle: Benilde offered me a financial assistance scholarship.<\/strong> That gesture changed my life\u2014and reminded me that when others invest in your potential, you owe it to yourself to keep going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I Thought I\u2019d Be a Designer. Life Had Other Plans.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Closer to graduation, I didn\u2019t think I was the best designer in our batch. Then one professor told me something that shook my direction:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cYou know\u2026 you might actually be stronger in coding than design.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t know how to take it at first. But it made me consider something new: Maybe I wasn\u2019t \u201cjust\u201d a designer. Maybe I could thrive in tech too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I applied for a mix of creative and development jobs. Two months before graduation, I landed my first role\u2014as a Web Developer.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Following Curiosity Over Clarity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Since then, I\u2019ve followed my curiosity. From development to design, from strategy to leadership, from agency life to freelancing\u2014I\u2019ve worn many hats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve worked with clients in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n