There’s something genuinely delightful about watching a young person discover their creative voice – especially when that discovery happens through what most of us would simply call a mistake.
Ayanvitta is a 13-year-old student at Tsinghua International School in grade 8 who takes the opportunity to turn boredom into opportunities to design and create.
Most people would look at a misshapen crochet sphere and leave it at that, but Ayanvitta saw a whale. One December afternoon in 2024, she was simply practicing a double crochet stitch, working with blue yarn, when something unexpected happened. The sphere she’d intended to make curved differently than planned. Instead of frogging the whole thing and starting over, she paused and looked at what sat in her hands. To her, it resembled her whale plushy. So she kept going, adding fins, stitching a tail, letting the accident guide her. A week later, she made a bigger version. Then another. What began as a practice exercise became the accidental birth of a signature creation.
This willingness to embrace the unexpected runs through everything Ayanvitta creates. She’s built a following on WeChat under the handle Ayanvitta23, where she shares her 3D-printed experiments and crochet projects with an audience that appreciates watching her process unfold in real-time. Her work spans traditional crafts and emerging technology, from yarn to CAD software, from stitches to code.
I really loved how you said Whaley came from boredom. Does it bother you when other kids are on their devices, and you’re not?
At first, yes. When everyone around you is on a phone or tablet, it can feel like you’re missing out. But over time, that feeling changed. I realized that while others were spending time online, I was learning new skills and creating things that meant something to me. Especially when I started writing my blogs on weekends and seeing articles get published, I felt rewarded. Now I don’t really feel bothered—I just focus on what I’m working on. Many friends of mine also don’t have a phone.
Make a case – teen to teen – why boredom is a good thing.
Boredom isn’t always bad. When there’s nothing to do, your mind starts wandering, and that’s when ideas show up. If you’re constantly entertained, you never get the chance to think or create. Being bored pushed me to try new things. For example, I love to crochet, and I have friends who also love to crochet. My teachers at school are always very encouraging; they also taught us knitting and other stuff. I love to crochet whaley, capybara, to name a few. Sometimes, boredom is just your brain asking you to be creative.
What are some of your favorite creations that you’ve made?
My favorite creation is the Functional Whaley Mouse because it represents a lot of learning, patience, and problem-solving. I also enjoy making smaller 3D-printed objects and experimenting with designs, even when they don’t work out. Every project teaches me something new, and that’s what makes creating fun for me. I’ve printed many phone stands for my grandparents and cousins, along with toys. You can see many of these on my WeChat channel, Ayanvitta23. Besides 3D printing, I also love to crochet, which lets me be creative in a different way.
Do you feel that it can sometimes be difficult to be creative nowadays when AI can do so much of the thinking for you?
It can be challenging because AI makes things easier and faster. But I don’t think it can replace creativity. AI can help with ideas and tools, but it can’t replace curiosity, imagination, or learning from mistakes. Real creativity comes from trying, failing, and improving—and that’s something you must do yourself.
Tell me a bit about the Harvard Innovation Challenge Program, where you received 2nd prize. What is it? What was your submission?
The Harvard Innovation Challenge Program is a global competition that encourages students to create innovative solutions to real-world problems. I received second prize for my project called DoneGlow. DoneGlow is an intuitive medication reminder system designed to help elderly people avoid confusion about their daily medicines. The idea for DoneGlow came from a personal experience with my grandparents. My grandmother asked me several times whether she had taken her morning medicine, even though she had phone reminders. This made me realize that reminders alone aren’t always enough, and that a simple visual system could be more effective.
You’re clearly very self-motivated. What does a typical weekend look like for you?
A typical weekend for me would be 60% of time devoted to homework and tests, 25% of my time crocheting and 15% of my time designing. Hanging out would be kind of rare, as we have a ton of tests, and sometimes we’re kind of tired and just want some time to relax at home.
You’ve already accomplished so much. Looking ahead to high school, what’s a new skill you’re excited to learn, or a type of project you haven’t tried yet but want to?
In high school, I’d love to explore more advanced engineering and maybe even robotics. I’m especially interested in combining design with electronics—creating products that are not only well-designed on the outside but also smart on the inside.I also want to learn more about programming and product development, so I can turn ideas into complete, real-world solutions. I’ve recently fallen in love with coding languages and want to take it further in high school.
For now, I mainly share my 3D-printed creations on my WeChat channel, Ayanvitta23, where people can see what I’m working on. When the blog does go public, I hope it can inspire others to start creating too—not just to read about my projects, but to try their own ideas as well.
Images: Ayanvitta
