17 June 2019
(Created using a preset colour palette for a weekly contest)

This illustration marked a true breakthrough in my early creative journey. Time seemed to stop. I didn’t notice when night fell, then morning came — I just kept creating, without stopping.I wasn’t thinking about composition, perspective, or my low skill level… The image seemed to draw itself, as if my hands knew exactly what to do. I could hear her laughter and feel his shyness and love. I was there — in the cluttered workshop of a humble engineer, whose door was always open for her.

When I finally finished the illustration, I collapsed onto my bed and fell asleep instantly — I hadn’t slept for over 24 hours and was utterly exhausted. But it was the most satisfying tiredness in the world!

When I woke up, I was greeted by a surprise: a flood of kind comments on the contest website! Someone even noticed my homage to the series "Love, Death & Robots"(Season 1, Episode 8). I was incredibly happy — and I even won a prize!!!

To this day, I still love this piece. It feels like a portal to something beautiful…