Welcome to the Human Prototype blog, a space where the past and present converge to showcase the evolution of a life in progress. Inspired by my TEDx talk, "I am a Prototype," this blog is part of a broader journey of transformation through journaling, capturing the essence of living as a perpetual prototype. Each week, during 2024, I reviewed my archives from 2016, contrasting journal scans filled with drawings against the backdrop of my current experiences.
This was the week I started my visual journal practice! The style is a little all over the place but I’m not mad about it. You got to start somewhere.
Looking back at that particular time, I had been in Dubai for about 8 months. Winter is Dubai is just the best: lots of sunshine, a bit of wind and mild temperatures.
As a packaging scientist for Mars, I found myself deep in the throes of writing my personal development plan, navigating the complexities of packaging trials that didn't always go as planned, and setting up a community called Pix to Pack, aimed at innovating digital printing for packaging.
That week I also committed to the CrossFit Open (a global online competition at the time), challenging my physical (and mental) limits. I’m proud of my crossfit days and I read here that I had a back squat of 125 pounds for three reps max, I’m not sure if I could still do that!
Another notable highlight was initiating a call with the TED team in New York to discuss bringing a TEDx event to Dubai, an idea I had already when living in The Netherlands. I’m curious to see how this evolves throughout the journal… (I already know what happened of course lol, but curious to see it unfold week by week!)
That week, I was learning about Human Centered Design through an online course with IDEO and met 2 other local students to learn together. I highly recommend the course by the way.
You may have noticed this mysterious code at the top of the left page. It’s Mars’ period calendar (not the planet ok, the company). Instead of month by month, Mars operates on a period by period basis, a period (P) is made out of 4 weeks (W) each. 13 periods of 4 weeks in the year.
Hear the journey: There's a unique intimacy in spoken words—a warmth and immediacy that text alone may not convey. In my weekly audio commentary, I share reflections both deep and light-hearted, offering a companion piece to the visual and written narrative.