I Turned My Insecurities into Art with Google AI (And Built This)

This is a submission for the New Year, New You Portfolio Challenge Presented by Google AI

About Me

I have always felt that I perceive the world differently. To me, the web often feels static and "unlively." I always try to infuse a persona and unique touch that brings a human feel. I wanted to change that. I wanted to breathe genuine life into the user interface.

My brain is beautiful and full of ideas, but it's often noisy and loses track of the context. I needed a way to articulate my vision without getting lost in the chaos.

The portfolio below is built for experience. Every interaction matters. For example, hover over the banner corners to control the waves and toggle the theme manually.

Portfolio

(Note: The embed below may limit features due to screen size. For the full-fledged, immersive experience, please visit directly: byadhd-dev)

How I Built It

The Journey & Approach

This project wasn't just about building a portfolio; it was the realization of Artode: the fusion of Art + Code. In a 15-day journey of "vibe coding" alongside my full-time job, I built complex scenes, a custom icons package, and this entire portfolio to bring that vision to life.

Finding Focus with AI

I used to think AI was just for generating boilerplate, but with the Google AI ecosystem, I found a workflow that actually kept up with my brain.

The creative process started in Google AI Studio. I used it to design the complex themes and living scenes for the banner, iterating until the "feel" was perfect. Once I had the concept, I could instantly push the code to GitHub directly from the studio, a feature that made moving from "idea" to "local environment" seamless.

From there, I switched to Antigravity to build the Next.js application. It became my engine. I relied on Gemini 3 Pro & Flash models for 95% of the development (only stopping when I hit rate limits!). Whether it was ideating a new particle effect or implementing complex logic, the models were surprisingly good at understanding the vibe I was going for, not just the code syntax.

I realized that you just need a beautiful brain and proper articulation, and everything falls into place.

Bringing Code to Life

My approach was to reject mediocrity. I didn't want a static banner; I wanted a living scene.

• I iterated with Gemini until I had a sun and wave system that wasn't just an animation, but a functional theme-switcher that mimics nature.
• I built my own artode-icons package because standard icons felt too rigid for the story I wanted to tell.

The entire development process was accessible and fluid. It felt less like coding and more like painting with logic, powered by a toolstack that finally spoke my language.

What I'm Most Proud Of

I didn't just build sections; I built experiences that reflect my feelings and overcome my own insecurities.

• A "No Guilt" Experience: Standard GitHub contribution graphs can feel judgmental. I built a "no guilt" graph that prioritizes aesthetics over activity streaks. It’s about the art of contribution, not the pressure.
• Gamifying My Insecurities: I felt a bit guilty about having few endorsements. Instead of letting that stop me, I gamified the section. Two spheres interact with your cursor, and the content changes on collision. It turns a potential weakness into a playful, engaging moment that calms my overthinking.
• Life in Posters: I have a hobby of documenting my life through posters. It’s a tactile way to "touch" my memories completely creating a unique sense of interactions especially on mobile.
• Story-Based Scroll: It is a story-based experience that doesn't just list points. As you scroll, the text snaps to focus, allowing me to speak my feelings directly to you in a curated, personal narrative.
• Particle Engagement: From the "Leave a note" section where text disperses into particles, to the projects canvas that morphs on hover. Every element is designed to keep the user playing, exploring, and engaging.

This portfolio is the result of letting go of fear and using the tools that let my mind work at its best. It is built to be experienced, not just shown.

Now, it is on us to end the mediocrity.

I would love to hear your thoughts.. is this the kind of portfolio that inspires you? If you enjoyed this journey, I'd be happy if you followed my work on X (Twitter).

---

Special thanks to the DEV Community and the Google Team for organizing these amazing challenges. And a huge thank you to Google for making powerful AI tools affordable and accessible to builders like me.