Born in Zoeterwoude, The Netherlands, a small village near Leiden. From a young age I was curious, and I liked to think just a little different than the rest. This week I wanted to be an astronaut, the next week I wanted to be a magician. And another week later I would make a full-fletched stop-motion with action figures. Early on I was already creatively expressing myself. Every day was a moment to learn something new.
Disclaimer: Made with the help of ChatGPT
Finding YouTube opened up a whole new world of learning for me. I also started reading books on a variety of topics, from fiction to non-fiction.
When I was nine, I uploaded my first video on YouTube. Proudly, I stood in my Superman pajamas in front of my dad's laptop webcam, demonstrating a card trick.
At ten years old, I was building websites (yes, merijnvervoorn.jouwweb.nl was mine, and what about pancakerecipes.wix.com). Here my love for creating grew further. I started teaching myself everything, from how to host my own Minecraft server to how to edit images and videos. Because I wanted to learn a lot without spending money, I got used to looking for free solutions to my problems. As a result, I gained much more experience than if I would have simply bought the best software.
In secondary school I discovered the power of storytelling. I became the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, started a podcast, and learned how to inspire people with words and images. Later, during my studies in Computational Social Science at the University of Amsterdam, I learned how data and technology can help address social issues. My curiosity became an increasingly important tool for understanding and changing the world.
Besides studying and creating, I also started working. I began in a pet store as an assistant, and later worked as a bike courier for a while. Now I work as a student project assistant at the University of Amsterdam, where I can use my organizational skills and creativity. As a runner, I've learned that you have to keep challenging yourself to grow. This helps me to always take on new challenges.
Maybe you noticed: I love to think differently sometimes, stay curious, and not be afraid to try new things. That's what 'being purple' means to me.
In webdesign unvisited links are blue. But as soon as you click them, they turn purple. For me this symbolises the moment you learn something new, dare to explore, and dare to learn. With everything I create, from code to content, I want to show people how beautiful it is to be curious. Learning never stops, there is always more to discover.
Let's start a conversation about your project, challenge, or just interesting ideas.
