Building Towards Change
Written by Jasmine Choong
This is Ryan at his creative desk, where he spends his time creating a world that he hopes to share with humanity.
26-year-old Ryan Leong is a big advocate for change - starting from the human mind.
He spends most of his waking moments in front of a small wooden desk, doodling fictional characters and imaginary worlds on an iPad and computer. In other words, he is worldbuilding.
“By general definition, worldbuilding refers to the creation of fictional universes by will of the imagination,” Ryan explained to me, an intrigued individual.
The worlds that Ryan build vary across multiple time periods and themes. He has drawn characters, buildings and objects from the medieval to futuristic times.
The process does require technical skills such as the ability to draw, but it also requires the creator’s ability to think about how the world he is building can apply to the real world for the greater good. That, in turn, depends on the attitude and mindset he adopts as he approaches worldbuilding. This means that every world that is built will be unique.
A peek into Ryan’s pondering mind as he holds his digital pen.
The more Ryan explained about worldbuilding, the more confused I felt. This interview was starting to feel like I was trying to interrogate an artist with very introspective thoughts.
Ryan then assured me that worldbuilding does not have to be set in stone. Its ultimate purpose is to help the creator enhance one’s imaginative capabilities to solve real-life problems creatively and holistically daily.
“In fact, all of us have done some form of worldbuilding before… without actually realising there was a term for it; writing fantasy stories in our childhood, imagining our future realities. It is even used to visualise business ideas through concept art, with Star Wars being one of them!” He added.
Ryan’s dedication to worldbuilding stems from his childhood.
Ryan, ready to draw since he was around eight years old.
He grew up playing with LEGO bricks and video games rich in lore such as Myth: The Fallen Lords and read whimsical novels with lore designs such as Enid Blyton’s The Enchanted Wood. The more he played, the more he got creative. His consistent engagement with his creative mind eventually taught him to view his life in a bigger picture.
“I couldn’t get enough of these but the fascination and excitement I gained from these eventually shifted to my own ambitions, where I was inspired to try my own hand at producing my own brand of creative works – drawing my own comic series in school!” Ryan said. “I can still vividly recall my friends eagerly awaiting the latest adventures of a team of detectives as I drew away with excitement, even when class was in session!” He added.
From a young age, Ryan has found another way to shine besides following the “official tried-and-proven route” of becoming an outstanding academic performer in school.
However, the journey of worldbuilding can feel lonely sometimes.
It was only in December 2019 when he uploaded his first artwork on his Instagram account (@artadventurer93). Before that, he spent his weekends staying at home to solidify his pieces and think of ways to convey his imaginative world. Letting go of temptations to leave the house and enjoy his weekend outdoors, like many others, is proof that worldbuilding is something that he wants to seriously develop. This, I feel, is a bold move.
Worldbuilding is a work in progress. Ryan has been honing his storytelling skills from drawing comic series on exercise books when he was a child (left) to digital platforms now (right).
“Being bold is not a mindset reserved for a trailblazer. It can be as simple as overcoming the assumptions and fears of something you’ve never tried before, emerging with renewed energy and attitudes,” Ryan said.
He recognises that being bold is multifaceted.
Being bold means harnessing the willingness to challenge his limiting beliefs and step out of comfort zone despite knowing that he will face rejection and failure.
Being bold also involves him striving to remain optimistic and opportunistic, even in times of fear and doubt.
One of the opportunities he embarked on to stretch his potential in worldbuilding is the Do Your Life workshop by Bold At Work, a two-day career design workshop where an intimate group of youthful participants learn different ways to design the lives they want to live by making the best choices in terms of pursuing their careers. This was when I got to know his story and learn about his desire to obtain clarity in thinking and communication through worldbuilding.
A DYL participant looks at prototype statements written by other participants on post-its around the walls of the room before writing a suggestion on how each statement could be achieved.
“How might I communicate the importance of worldbuilding?” was his prototyped question. He framed his statement in this manner because he believes that “worldbuilding is an empowering tool that can enhance how we add value to our lives and that of others.”
Experiencing the workshop helped Ryan to discover his highest purpose and deepest fear in his life. It also helped him to structure how he wants to plan his career and personal life with increased clarity.
“My regret was not sharing my creative process with the world earlier, due to fear of receiving criticism. However, the reality is that the criticism will come sooner or later. It’s how you choose to respond to it that counts,” Ryan reflected after the workshop.
He gained insights on how he can keep track of his productivity levels by mapping out his Energy-Engagement map, a tool that he can use to record his day-to-day activities and measure how much energy and engagement he gets from each of them.
This exercise excited him as he was made aware of the conditions that best elevate the realisation of his creative potential.
And thankfully, he is still able to bring worldbuilding to life, slowly but surely, instead of letting it be one of his forgotten projects when he progressed into adulthood.
“I believe there is a pure sense of confidence and ambition in everyone’s childhood dreams,” Ryan told me.
He has heard too many conversations to know that people usually give up on their dreams because of, well, life.
“I therefore would like to encourage others, if they still wish for it, to revisit and rekindle these buried aspirations, these passion projects, so that they will not pass from this world with additional regrets,” were Ryan’s last words before we parted ways.
Well said, trooper. Keep marching on!