Overcoming Procrastination in the 11th Hour to Win a Story Xperiential Award!

Sai Kalyan Chakravarthy Kodela

Sai Kalyan Chakravarthy Kodela studied a bachelors degree in Computer Science in India, though his true passion was animation. He then travelled to the USA to attend university at Northeastern University, where he studied Project Management. He participated in Story Xperiential in 2024 but did not complete his first project, but returned in 2026 for the second time and his creation garnered him the recognition of his peers in the May 2026 Story Xperiential Awards!

Tell us about yourself, where you are from, what you do, studies, etc.

I am Sai Kalyan Chakravarthy Kodela and I'm from India. Kodela is my lonely last name, with a three-part first name. My family call me Sai, friends call me Kalyan (my preferred name), only one aunt in my entire social group calls me Chakri (short for Chakravarthy), and, as far as I can remember, no one calls me by my last name. Maybe that's why I say it is lonely.

I did my bachelors in Computer Science in India, but back then I wanted to do animation. However, I still regret the fact that my family pushed me into Computer Science instead of letting me do what I wanted to do. I am still curious about storytelling as story ideas run in my mind all the time and I want to see them exist in some format rather than just in my imagination. With this in mind, I chose to study Human-Centred Design and Engineering at University of Michigan-Dearborn but due to some bad experiences, I had to change universities and so went to a place I'd never thought about; Maine, to study a masters in Project Management at Northeastern University. This experience was the catalyst, the stepping stone for one of my storytelling processes, which began with Story Xperiential.

Simple pencils and pens in a library or are they?

Tell us about your Story Xperiential journey!

I am a huge Pixar fan and I was searching for ways to get into Pixar. I realised I had to develop my storytelling techniques. I began looking for courses, then Pixar-related courses and found Story XP, a platform that teaches the 3-Act structure in the Pixar way, was founded by Pixar veterans and had lessons taught by people who worked at Pixar. I joined Story Xperiential in December 2024, as I wanted to explore storytelling opportunities. I really felt it was intriguing and imagined I could become something at Pixar. One year passed, and I did nothing. I resubscribed for a second year, motivated to do something. Four months passed, and I did nothing again. All this procrastination stemmed from a loss of motivation and belief in myself because of things that have happened and, are happening around me still, when I came to the US. Nothing was going as I had planned. Then one day, in April 2026, I just forced myself to begin my storytelling, even if it was a just a minute thing. Something is better than nothing. I drew a basic sketch and completed the orientation step of Story Xperiential. Meanwhile, I was also forcing myself to draw, paint on canvas, learn piano, and use AI to create visuals of my stories and ideas. Again, I became blocked and stopped doing everything, including the Story Xperiential program.  

Then in May, I just opened the Story Xperiential login portal and saw the deadline to submit my storyreel for the May 2026 Exhibition was a day away! I was shell-shocked. I felt useless, honestly, because I'd procrastinated so long. One day to submit, and that day I had to travel 4 hours to attend my close friend's wedding.

I thought, "Should I not attend the marriage and submit the reel? Was it really worth it? Is attending the wedding worth it?"

I decided to go to the wedding and while travelling, I searched for ideas that inspire me. I used ChatGPT for whatever I was feeling and observing at that time. An idea struck me, something I had been thinking about before. And while at the wedding, I wrote the story, adding my pre-existing ideas and experiences to it. After the wedding, I returned home, and there were just 2 hours left until the deadline. I created the illustrations for the story using ChatGPT, I modified the story, then recomposed the illustrations, but the deadline had passed, and, yet, I continued. After another two hours, despite the deadline, I submitted. I grabbed the opportunity, uploaded my storyreel, submitted, and hoped for best!

A screenshot of Kalyan's illustration while using ChatGPT - Myra the pencil was not chosen, the pens try to humiliate her.

Each character you see in my story, "Graphite Soul", represents a feeling inside me because of situations or experiences I have had with people. It was and is personal.

How do you feel about winning a Story Xperiential Award?

I was visiting an art exhibition during the Story Xperiential Awards Ceremony. I looked at the contemporary art and couldn't understand anything. I left the exhibition and sat at a table, where I remembered it was the announcement time. I opened the link and watched each award, but back in my head, I believed I would win some award, but all the categories were done, and my name or my story's name wasn't called out. Then the Grand Prize was being announced and I saw my story's name, "Graphite Soul". I was silent on the outside, but inside, I was rushing. I hoped for it, I expected it, and I felt I achieved it. I really felt I had to stop procrastinating and start doing. Start telling. I am definitely going to achieve big things. I just have to start doing it. My dream is to join Pixar and I am definitely going to do it. This win gave me such inspiration.

What challenges did you face during the program, and how did you overcome them?

My biggest challenge was and is my procrastination and my ability to draw. However, I feel it takes courage to accept the things you lack. I procrastinated a lot. Whenever I motivated myself and did one task in Story Xperiential, I had to draw. Though I can draw a little bit, I felt it was a big task and procrastinated even more, which is why it took me almost 18 months to do the orientation, which is a simple task.

Kalyan refining the illustration in ChatGPT to fit his vision.

I realise now that only when I feel like it's too late do I start. That's what I did, I just started, when the deadline was fast approaching, I worked on my story, created images with ChatGPT and kept refining.

Can you share how the peer feedback aspect of the program influenced your storytelling projects?

Honestly, I did only the orientation part. The storyreel I had submitted is purely my own way of telling the story. I feel both proud and awkward about it. I should have done the entire program. The natural way of telling a story we have within us will get affected by the learnings we undergo, influencing our own and unique way of storytelling. The techniques are definitely useful, though, so I definitely would have finished the program, but, I just did it RAW-ly.

What were some unexpected benefits you experienced from participating in Story Xperiential?

INSPIRATION. INSPIRATION. INSPIRATION. And, MOTIVATION - the feeling that I can also achieve something. The only thing is, I have to act on it. Act on what I want to achieve rather than being lazy and uninspired. I just have to do it. Simply, DO IT.

What advice would you give to someone considering joining the Story Xperiential program?

Go for it. Work on it. Please do not lag, procrastinate, or be demotivated. Simply, do it. Exhibit those crazy thoughts running in your minds. People really like to hear stories. And, as humans, we are all natural storytellers. After all this, you know what I mean.