The People Behind the Tools
Updated: Mar 19
Before the cameras, before the editing software, before the work I do today — there were people.
People who saw something in me before I fully understood it myself. People who opened doors, shared knowledge, and quietly shaped the path that led me into storytelling and content production.
This is a small dedication to three of them.
My Mother — The First Investment
My mum was a school teacher — an English grammar teacher, to be exact — and without question, one of the most passionate educators I have ever known.
She taught with everything she had. She would ride her bicycle for miles to visit her students — if they were sick, if they had missed a few days of class, or if she heard they had been naughty. That was her level of commitment. She was strict too — the cane was not unfamiliar, and chalk could fly across the room if needed — but everything she did came from a place of deep care and love for her students.
At 82 years old, on her very last day in 2015, she was still teaching.
She got to do what she loved until the very end.
And it was this same woman who, one day, put money into my hand and said, “Go and enrol in a computer class.”
That moment changed everything.
Everything I do today — every story I tell, every piece of work I create — traces back to that simple act of encouragement and belief.
I owe it to her.
“Clever” — The Teacher Who Made Learning Alive
My first computer teacher at the local YMCA was a man whose name perfectly described him — Clever.
But he was more than clever. He was joyful, musical, friendly, kind — the kind of person who naturally drew people in. His small classroom became more than a place of learning; it became a space where young people gathered, stayed, and felt welcomed.
I still remember how he made learning feel exciting and possible.
Programs, commands, systems — they were no longer intimidating under his guidance. He gave us confidence, not just skills.
I remain deeply grateful not only to him, but also to the YMCA, for creating opportunities like that — spaces where young people could access knowledge that could change their future.
I still miss him.
The One Who Opened the Creative World
The third person came into my life in the early 2000s — a senior colleague who would unknowingly unlock a whole new world for me.
At that time, my knowledge was basic. I was working with tools like CorelDRAW, PageMaker, and Microsoft Word. Then one day, he showed me something simple — how layers work in Adobe Photoshop.
That moment changed everything.
It wasn’t just about learning a feature. It was about seeing possibilities.
From that point on, creativity opened up in ways I had never imagined. Design, editing, visual storytelling — everything started to make sense.
He was — and still is — one of the most knowledgeable people I have ever met. Whether it was hardware, software, servers, networking, or creative tools, he always had an answer. From technical questions like NTSC vs PAL or DVI vs HDMI, to conversations about films, music, history, or books — his knowledge seemed endless.
But more than that, he was patient. Generous. Willing to share.
Even now, living on another continent, he remains someone I can reach out to.
Looking back, I realise that technology was never just about tools.
It was about people.
A mother who believed and invested.A teacher who made learning come alive.A mentor who opened the door to creativity.
The cameras I use, the software I work with, the stories I tell today — they all trace back to moments of guidance, generosity, and encouragement from others.
And perhaps that’s the deeper truth.
Behind every skill we carry, there are people who shaped it. Behind every story we tell, there are stories that formed us first.
This is my way of remembering them — and saying thank you.
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