The Little Flower That Brought Me Back to Coding

Mahbuba Sultana — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 10:50:44 +0000

How "Shiuli" became my favorite flower

*The Small Idea That Started My Coding Journey*

I never thought a small design idea would be the reason I fell in love with code.

Before this moment, I had already tried stepping into programming. A relative introduced me to it, and like many beginners, I started watching free HTML and CSS tutorials on YouTube.

But honestly? Nothing clicked.

I could understand the syntax, but I couldn't connect it with anything real. Without practical implementation or a clear learning path, coding felt like blind memorization.

Slowly, I started believing that maybe coding just wasn't for me.

📸 The Spark of Curiosity

Fast forward to September 2025.

I’ve always loved photography. For me, capturing moments isn't just about taking pictures—it’s about observing small details, noticing things others might overlook, and finding the story behind them.

While looking through one of my photos of Shiuli flowers, a creative idea popped into my head:

What if I replaced the middle "O" in the word *"October"** with a single Shiuli flower?*

It was a simple concept, but I wanted to bring my imagination to life.

I asked ChatGPT how to edit it, but it couldn't quite capture my exact vision. When I asked how I could build it myself, it introduced me to image editing concepts and—more importantly—the power of code.

That was the moment everything changed. For the first time, I wasn't just consuming content—I was genuinely curious about how to build something.

I asked a simple question:

"Is there a way for someone with a completely non-technical background to learn coding through real implementation, quizzes, and hands-on tasks?"

The answer was a resounding yes.

💡 Realizing What Coding Really Is

I quickly discovered that programming isn't about memorizing rigid syntax. It’s about:

🎨 Creating things from scratch
🧪 Experimenting with new ideas
🧩 Solving problems step-by-step
✨ Turning imagination into reality

That small spark of curiosity led me to pick my first structured learning platform and take my real first step into web development.

A simple Shiuli flower became more than just a favorite flower—it became a symbol of my curiosity, creativity, and the start of my developer journey. 🌼

🛠️ Turning the Idea Into Reality

Fast forward to August 2026: I built it!

I recently recreated that exact concept using HTML and CSS. I built a responsive webpage where the Shiuli flower replaces the middle "O" in October—exactly as I imagined it back then.

You can check out the project here:

🌼 Live Demo: mahbubasultanaety.github.io/shiuly-story
💻 Source Code: GitHub Repository

If you've ever felt stuck or wondered if coding is right for you, sometimes all it takes is one small personal project to make it all click. What was the spark that got you into coding? Let me know in the comments!

DEV Community: Mahbuba Sultana

The Little Flower That Brought Me Back to Coding

How "Shiuli" became my favorite flower

📸 The Spark of Curiosity

💡 Realizing What Coding Really Is

🛠️ Turning the Idea Into Reality