Discovering the Journey Behind a Personal Web Project: A Two-Year Tale of Simplicity and Passion
Building a website from scratch may seem straightforward to many, but for me, it was a voyage filled with introspection, perseverance, and a touch of creative rebellion. After two years of dedicated effort, I finally launched a platform that truly reflects who I am—without relying on complex technology or flashy features.
A Personal Reflection on Creativity and Resilience
For years, I carried the skills and ideas, yet found myself hamstrung by self-imposed limitations and external expectations. Working within corporate environments that touted innovation, I often faced the stark reality of projects faltering when it came down to focusing on meaningful questions or authentic expression. The frustration grew palpable, leading me to a realization: rather than conform to external standards, I would craft something for myself.
The Birth of a Handmade Digital Space
This website is more than just an online presence; it’s a handcrafted platform built to serve the version of me eager to be seen and heard. Through this process, I chose to pare down to essentials, embracing simplicity over complexity, and focusing on the core principles that make the project meaningful.
Simplicity as a Strength: The Technical Approach
Instead of deploying an elaborate tech stack, I opted for a minimal yet flexible setup:
- Core Technology: React.js, paired solely with Markdown for content rendering
- Omissions: No CSS frameworks, no analytics, tracking, or SEO optimizations—just pure functionality and sincerity
This approach allowed me to channel my energy into innovative features within a lean environment, keeping the focus on the user experience and personal expression.
Notable Features and Personal Challenges
- Customized Markdown styling for seamless content presentation
- Procedurally generated backgrounds, currently running on the CPU, with future plans to leverage WebGPU for enhanced performance
- Theme-aware design elements, with ongoing efforts to improve theme switching and contrast across browsers
- An integrated PDF viewer powered by pdf.js, with ideas to customize its styling for consistency
- An Easter egg embedded within the site—a playful secret for the adventurous visitor
- Blog posts authored as commits, hinting at potential future integration with a full-fledged content management system
- An abundance of motion effects, with plans to introduce a “low chaos” mode for accessibility and comfort
A Work Still in Progress
While the site remains a work in progress—glitchy at times and continuously evolving—I
