i wanted to capture the mental startup routine so many Black creatives know intimately: low battery, imposter syndrome running in the background, and a little voice whispering “override?”

—it was built to feel like the glitchy, awkward, surreal process of walking into a room full of possibilities while trying to quiet all the background programs in your head.

I worked fast, layered in UI metaphors, and kept it rooted in Detroit energy without leaning on the obvious. The story wasn’t only about tech as tools, it was also how we’re constantly rewriting ourselves to be seen, heard, and taken seriously.

Every detail (from the toothbrush loading bar to the failed “Stealth Mode” attempt) was grounded in real emotion, even if it was wrapped in style.

I then built a 90‑second arc where every tiny gesture—slamming the snooze, toothpaste bar glitch, a half‑hearted stealth‑mode click—felt like the system's calls for confidence. I leaned hard into Edgar Wright pacing (toothbrush in slow‑mo matched to glitch SFX, whip‑pans on every coffee pour) and wove in the real Detroit energy to keep it relatable.

I pitched my collaborator Doug Penrod a stylized 90-second visual treatment told through the UI of a shy coder leveling up—glitch by glitch—over one chaotic, cinematic day.