Looking back now, it still feels strange to think that my journey into web design started from random internet curiosity during school days.
At that age, I wasn’t thinking about careers, agencies, or building businesses.
I was simply curious.
Most evenings after school were spent in front of a computer exploring random things online, playing games, browsing forums, and trying to understand how websites worked.
One random moment eventually changed everything.
The Search That Started It All
When I was around 11 years old, I came across an online ad that promised something like:
“Earn money online fast.”
The ad itself was probably fake, but it sparked curiosity.
Instead of ignoring it, I searched:
“How to earn money online.”
That search led me into a completely different side of the internet that I had never explored before.
I started discovering:
- online forums
- PTC websites
- digital communities
- basic online business concepts
- people building things on the internet
At first, I was just experimenting and exploring.
But slowly, I became fascinated by the idea that someone could actually create something online from scratch.
Earning My First Dollar Online
Like many people during that era, I started experimenting with Paid-To-Click websites.
The earnings were tiny.
After weeks of clicking ads and trying random things online, I eventually earned my first dollar.
Financially, it wasn’t meaningful at all.
But mentally, it was huge.
It made me realize the internet wasn’t just entertainment.
It was a place where people could:
- build things
- create opportunities
- learn skills
- make money
- connect globally
That realization changed how I looked at technology completely.
Discovering Web Design
While spending time on different websites, I noticed something interesting.
A lot of them looked terrible.
The designs were messy, difficult to navigate, and visually outdated.
I kept thinking:
“Why can’t these websites look better?”
That question slowly pulled me toward web design.
I started searching things like:
- “How to design websites”
- “How websites are made”
- “How to learn HTML and CSS”
Most of my learning happened through:
- YouTube
- random tutorials
- forums
- experimentation
- trial and error
Honestly, a huge part of my learning process was just:
- breaking things
- fixing them
- rebuilding layouts
- testing random ideas
But I enjoyed every part of it.
Building My First Websites
By the time I was around 13, I had already started building simple webpages and experimenting with design more seriously.
None of my early work was perfect.
But every small project taught me something new.
At that point, I wasn’t trying to become “successful.”
I was simply obsessed with improving.
That mindset helped me keep going consistently.
Getting My First Clients
In 2016, I started offering design services online under the name Designz5233.
At first, I worked on:
- logos
- banners
- homepage mockups
- small graphics
- basic website work
My very first project was actually free because I just wanted to build a portfolio and gain experience.
Soon after that, I landed my first paid project:
a homepage design worth $3.
The amount itself didn’t matter much.
What mattered was the realization that someone trusted my work enough to pay for it.
That moment gave me a huge confidence boost.
Starting UnikBrushes
As I kept improving, I realized I wanted to build something bigger and more serious around my work.
That’s when I started UnikBrushes.
At first, it was simply my creative identity online.
But over time, it slowly evolved into something much larger.
I started expanding into:
- WordPress development
- SEO
- branding
- digital marketing
- e-commerce
- user experience
- growth systems
The more businesses I worked with, the more I realized that websites alone weren’t enough.
Businesses needed systems that connected:
- design
- development
- marketing
- branding
- content
- user experience
That thinking eventually became a huge part of how I approached digital work overall.
Learning Through Failure
Not everything worked.
At one point, I even tried building my own PTC platform using money I had earned from projects.
The idea failed.
I lost both time and money.
But honestly, experiences like that taught me more than many successful projects did.
I learned:
- resilience
- patience
- adaptability
- problem-solving
- long-term thinking
Over time, I stopped seeing failure as something negative.
I started seeing it as part of the learning process.
The COVID Phase
During the COVID years, I spent even more time learning and expanding my skills.
That period pushed me deeper into:
- digital marketing
- Shopify
- WooCommerce
- SEO
- e-commerce systems
- content workflows
As businesses started moving more aggressively online, I also got opportunities to work on larger and more complex projects.
That phase helped UnikBrushes grow significantly.
A Few Things I’ve Learned Along the Way
Looking back, a few things stand out clearly to me:
Big journeys usually start from very small moments.
Curiosity is incredibly powerful if you keep following it consistently.
You don’t need perfect conditions to begin.
Most growth comes from:
- repetition
- experimentation
- mistakes
- consistency
- long-term thinking
And honestly, I still think I’m learning every single day.
Advice for Anyone Starting Out
If you’re getting into web design or any creative field, I’d say:
Start before you feel ready.
You don’t need expensive courses, perfect equipment, or a full roadmap.
A lot of what I learned came from:
- curiosity
- free resources
- experimentation
- consistency
The internet gives you access to almost everything you need to start learning.
The important part is continuing even when progress feels slow.
Looking Back Now
When I look back at that 13-year-old version of myself experimenting with websites late at night, I honestly never imagined where the journey would eventually lead.
What started as curiosity slowly became:
- a skill
- then a profession
- then a business
- and eventually a much bigger vision
And I think that’s the beautiful part about starting small.
Sometimes the smallest moments end up changing your entire life.
