Remember Flash websites? That's where my obsession began. For eight years, my personal website has been a chameleon. It morphed from a creative playground to a portfolio showcase, and finally, a writer's haven. But this journey wasn't without its pitfalls.
The Redesign Rabbit Hole
Ever felt the dread of updating your portfolio? Multiply that by a thousand. That was me, caught in an endless loop of redesigns. Each iteration left me more exhausted than the last, sapping my will to even look at my own creation. A digital Sisyphus moment. Pushing the boulder of perfectionism up the hill, only to watch it roll back down.
Embracing Imperfection: The Iterative Approach
Then came the revelation: iterative change. Give your website permission to grow up, one small step at a time. The faster you iterate, the quicker you learn. Suddenly, the pressure to be perfect vanished. My website wasn't a static showcase anymore. It became a living entity, evolving with me.
Tech Stack: The Foundation of Flexibility
Choosing the right tools was crucial. Gone are the days of manual updates and clunky deployments. Enter Continuous Integration:
- Next.js as the backbone
- GitHub for version control
- Vercel for deployment
- Server-Side Rendering for performance
Push a change, and it's live. No friction. No waiting.
Content Creation Unleashed
Remember when adding content felt like solving a Rubik's cube blindfolded? Not anymore. MDX became my new best friend. Markdown for writing. React components for interactivity. Simplicity meets flexibility. I can write in any editor and ship without touching the codebase.
Design Constraints: The Unlikely Hero
To keep my inner perfectionist in check, I set ground rules:
- Limited container width
- Design tokens for spacing
- Only two heading styles in articles
These constraints became a creative springboard. They forced me to focus on what actually matters: the content. Not the decoration.
From Portfolio to Personal Narrative
The final piece? A shift in perspective. This isn't just a portfolio. It's a digital autobiography. Portfolios gather dust after the job hunt ends. But a personal website keeps evolving. It tells your story, chapter by chapter.
So here's to personal websites. May they always be a work in progress, just like me.
