Celebrating Persistence: A Personal Journey in Building a Simple Yet Meaningful Website
After two years of dedication, I am thrilled to unveil my latest creation—a personal website crafted entirely on my own terms. This project wasn’t driven by complex technology or professional obligations; rather, it was a labor of love to bring my own ideas and voice to life.
A Long Road to Completion
This has been a journey marked by perseverance. The primary challenge wasn’t technical intricacies, but rather overcoming personal barriers and self-doubt. Many times, I had the skills and ideas, yet I lacked the mindset and focus needed to see this project through.
Having experienced the frustrations of working within environments that promote “innovation” but stall when faced with honest questions or focused execution, I decided to shift gears. Instead of building for others, I built for myself—a platform that truly reflects who I am.
Design Philosophy and Approach
My goal was to keep things simple—no bloated tech stacks or unnecessary dependencies. I aimed to create a lightweight, authentic website that embodies my personality and creative spirit.
Core Technologies Used
- Basic React.js
- Markdown for content rendering
- No CSS frameworks, tracking scripts, or SEO hacks
- Incorporation of PDF.js for document viewing
This minimal approach allowed me to focus on what truly matters—designing an experience that is personal, intuitive, and resonant.
Key Features and Enhancements
- Custom Markdown Styling: Ensuring the content feels cohesive and unique.
- Procedural Backgrounds: Implemented custom background generation, currently CPU-heavy, with plans to leverage WebGPU for improved performance.
- Theme-Awareness: Developed a theme switcher compatible across browsers, although achieving perfect contrast and readability—particularly with WebKit—remains a challenge.
- PDF Viewer Integration: Used PDF.js to embed documents directly. I’m interested in learning how to customize styles more effectively to match the overall aesthetic.
- Easter Egg & Hidden Surprises: There’s a playful easter egg embedded within the site. If you stumble upon it, I’d love to hear your thoughts—feedback, jokes, or roast!
- Content as Commits: Posts are written in a commit-like format, contemplating future integration of a more traditional CMS.
- Motion Elements: Currently heavy with animation, but considering a “low chaos” mode for accessibility and comfort.
Reflections and Future Plans
While the site remains a work in
