Why Did We Create NIBBO?

We all look different, do different jobs, come from different backgrounds, and live different lives.
Some of us wear uniforms. Some sit behind desks. Some spend their days making things, fixing things, performing, exploring, or simply figuring out what comes next.

And whether we notice it or not, those things can shape how we see one another.

A job title can make someone seem more important. The way a person dresses can change the first impression we have of them. Where someone comes from, what they do, and how they live can quickly turn into labels.

Zane, the designer of NIBBO, started wondering what would happen if all of that disappeared.

Take away the clothes.

The jobs.

The titles.

The labels.

What would be left?

Underneath, we’re all just bones.

Maybe we’re not as different as we seem.

That is what Zane saw in the skeleton: a form free of status, roles, or any fixed identity.

Not someone rich or poor.

Not a chef, a musician, an office worker, or an explorer.

Not someone important or unimportant.

Just a starting point.

And from that thought came NIBBO, a name inspired by “no-body.”

NIBBO doesn’t begin with a fixed identity or a story already decided for it.

That means there is no single answer to who NIBBO has to be.

Today, it might put on a chef’s hat and step into a kitchen.

Tomorrow, it might pick up a skateboard.

Another day, it could be standing on a stage with a guitar, walking through the wild, helping someone in a hurry, painting outdoors, or looking out into space.

The outfit changes.

The setting changes.

The life changes.

But underneath, it is still NIBBO.

With no fixed identity, there’s no limit to who NIBBO can be.

And that is the idea Zane wanted to leave with it:

“NIBBO is no-body, so it can become anybody.”

 

So, What Does NIBBO Want to Become?

That question eventually led to another one.

What happens when you can become almost anything — but you don’t actually know what you want to become yet?

That feeling probably sounds familiar.

Sometimes it feels like everyone else knows where they’re going.

Someone is moving up in their career. Someone is starting a new business. Someone is moving to another city. Someone seems to have their next five years perfectly planned.

Meanwhile, you might still be wondering what comes next.

The world moves fast.

Plans change. Jobs change. Economies change. Things don’t always work out the way we expected, and it can be easy to feel like we should already have an answer.

What should I be doing?

Am I falling behind?

Should I keep going?

Should I try something else?

What if I have no idea?

Zane created STILL TRYING for moments like these.

Instead of giving NIBBO one perfect path, the series lets it try different lives.

A chef.

A skater.

A rocker.

An explorer.

An astronaut.

A paramedic.

A painter.

And even someone whose life has not gone according to plan.

NIBBO is not meant to be an expert at all of them.

Most of the time, it is simply stepping into something new.

And that’s okay.

Because for Zane, trying doesn’t mean having everything figured out.

It doesn’t always mean working harder, moving faster, or forcing yourself forward.

Sometimes trying means starting something you’ve never done before.

Sometimes it means realizing something isn’t for you and changing direction.

Sometimes it means making a mess of things and giving it another go.

And sometimes, trying can simply mean stopping for a while.

Looking around.

Taking a breath.

And seeing where life takes you next.

There doesn’t always have to be a big plan behind it.

Eight Lives. Eight Ways to Keep Going.

That is why the characters in STILL TRYING are not meant to tell the same story.

The Chef approaches a new role with complete seriousness.

The Skater keeps chasing that moment in the air.

The Rocker turns everything up a little louder.

The Explorer keeps walking.
The Astronaut looks toward something far away.

The Paramedic is already on the way.

The Painter adds one more line.

And the Homeless NIBBO reminds us of something quieter: even when life looks very different from what we once imagined, there can still be small moments worth noticing, enjoying, and holding on to.

None of them represents the “right” way to live.

They are simply different ways of experiencing the world.

Because life doesn’t always move in one straight line.

Neither does NIBBO.

 

Still Trying Doesn’t Mean Never Stopping

The words STILL TRYING can sound like a message about perseverance.

And part of it is.

But not in the usual “never stop, never quit, keep pushing” kind of way.

Zane didn’t want the series to tell people that every second has to be productive, or that every attempt needs to lead somewhere impressive.

Sometimes progress looks like moving forward.

Sometimes it looks like taking a different road.

Sometimes it barely looks like progress at all.

You can stop for a while without giving up.

You can change your mind without failing.

You can try something simply because you want to know what it feels like.

Not every chapter has to become a success story.

Sometimes, it can just be a chapter.

That is enough.

Every try lets NIBBO experience the world a little differently.

A different role.

A different place.

A different feeling.

A different version of life.

And maybe that is part of what trying is really for.

Not always to find the one thing we were “meant” to do.

Sometimes, just to discover another way we could be.

As long as NIBBO is still trying, the story is still moving forward.

Maybe ours is too.

That’s what STILL TRYING is about.