11/05/2026
A reflection on creativity, self-doubt and storytelling. Phan Công Bảo Long (2210CCP) shares his journey to becoming a finalist at the Young Ones Student Awards 2026.
“...There will always be a certain level of regret about the final dish you end up presenting to the world. But in the age of inauthentic AI-generated ‘artworks’, the value of your art lies in human ingenuity. It’s the hard work you put in, and even the regrets about what could have been, that give your work something AI can never replicate.
My love for worldbuilding and storytelling in video games is what kept me going during my final year. My graduation project, Heart of Everpath, despite its many shortcomings, holds a special place in my heart. It is an ambitious idea — something simple in theory, yet, for me, surprisingly uncommon in practice: human empathy. My hope is to create a concept that explores what empathy is and how nuanced it can be.
It’s hard to shake the feeling that some details could have been done differently, if not completely reworked from the ground up. One thing I can always be certain of is that Process Is King. When I focus on the process rather than my frankly lackluster final design, I feel much lighter, knowing I achieved what I deserved and more. I hope my story will help my fellow impostor-syndrome sufferers untie that knot within themselves. The doubt will never fully disappear, but you can mitigate it by finding a process you genuinely enjoy and committing to it...”
