Who the hell is Mr XP? Chances are, you may know them as this weird cartoon character on Instagram,
Yet, I must confess, it was an abrupt beginning. So, I'm sure you deserve a better explanation. That's why in this article, I'm gonna reveal everything about Mr XP...
💫 How It All Started
In early October 2023, I watched a movie called "Inception" directed by Christopher Nolan. Even though I didn't understand most of what happened in the first watch, there was something that hit me. Something that was special about the whole movie. So, I got obsessed with it and watched it almost 3 times including every video I could find about it on YouTube.
The more I watched the movie, the more I realised it was not solely about planting an idea in someone's mind (aka inception) or a father trying to get back to his kids amid his criminal convictions.
It was about reality. It was about the power of choice which penetrates through layers of abstraction to ultimately create the reality you and I perceive. Now that's a broad idea. Let me break it down.
Think about what you are doing right now. Well, you are reading an article that was written by a random dude. But why? What are the consequences of it? If I'm precise you wanna get to know Mr XP better. So, if I reword it properly, you have chosen to learn more about Mr XP.
That's the point. Every choice you make carries consequences that define your character. For instance, where you study or work right now is a result of a choice (or choices) you made previously in your life. See, now it has become your reality. You have made life-long friendships and memories because of those choices.
This means YOU are the one who is in control. You have the power to choose and no person, no god, no fate can determine your life.
In fact, you can choose to change the reality you perceive. This is what is summarised in the quote upon which Mr XP's character was built,
"Admit it. You don't believe in one reality anymore."
Personally, this idea changed the way I viewed the world. When it struck me, I was in an utter hysteria with tears of joy streaming down my face. (pure exaggeration)
💡 The Idea
Since then, I thought it would be nice to start a hobby project to convey life insights with ample humour. That was where Mr XP kicked in. A character derived straight from the movie.
So, the idea was: Every week, Mr XP goes through a comical incident (which is hopefully funny) and based on it, a powerful idea is incepted in the reader's mind through a post series called Mr XP's Weekly Wisdom.
😊 The Most Embarrassing Part
To be frank, I know a virus transforming into a light bulb (i.e. idea) is strictly speaking, impossible.
Dear reader, this is fantasy. So, don't care about it. (cough, cough)
Alright, now here was an idea, a character and a purpose. Where on earth would I find an audience? I was sure I could barely reach 5 people in the world (thanks to my past experience in content creation).
So, I guessed the best option was to use less text and more images. Aha, Instagram. There was more good news. I already had a group of friends on Instagram.
Up to that point in time, I was deliberately trying to avoid using Instagram because I hated photos of me whizzing around the internet. Yep, I am a bit shy (well, a lot). More precisely, I have chosen to be shy.
However, this time, I didn't have to be myself. There was another personality to mask me. So, after crafting a few Mr XP posts, I started sending follow requests to some of my friends.
Let's be honest. Everything didn't go as well as I hoped. Heck, a few hours later, one of my friends leaked a photo of me :( ... Yet, thanks to him, I was able to gain around 10 followers within a day. So, I'm sort of grateful for that.
10 followers!!! It might not be a big number but it was a huuuge motivation! So, the next day, Mr XP was live (i.e. alive) with the first post being "New Beginnings be Like".
That was Mr XP's birthday: 21st October 2023.
🤔 What does XP stand for?
Oops.
The simple answer: I don't know. It was just a mistake. Back then, I thought Instagram didn't allow you to change your username like many other social media platforms.
I initially created the account by combining my social media nickname, SenaThenu along with XP to denote the word Experimental. So, Mr XP was the only option.
Now, my excuse is: The audience defines what XP stands for😉... Hopefully, until then, Elon Musk won't force me to pay a copyright fee for using his sacred letter.
👋 Conclusion
I know Mr XP is not perfect at all.
At this point, I can't even believe I had been posting Mr XP posts consistently over the past few weeks.
If you asked me how I came up with those freaky ideas, I would probably say, "When I started posting, only Mr XP, my X and I knew what was going on. Now, only my X knows." So, who is my X (pun intended)? The legendary X.com (formerly known as Twitter)... In case, you thought about someone else...
Not to mention, I never thought I would even write something like this about Mr XP.
My point: Mr XP would be nothing if it weren't for those who follow them and continuously engage with their posts. So, the full credit goes to you.
Since Mr XP is a separate personality, let me thank you on their behalf. I love you all. FOREVER! I mean it... That's an XPromise!
To make Mr XP better, I would love to hear some feedback from you! Your ideas are precious for this cute little Mr XP baby who's striving to grow up. So, don't be afraid to direct message Mr XP and share your thoughts/ideas. (Thanks a lot, again :)
If you are more used to Medium, you can find this here...