After Two Years, I Finally Launched This Simple Website — Not Due to Technical Challenges, and I’m Very Proud of the Result

Building a Personal Website from Scratch: A Two-Year Journey of Simplicity and Self-Expression

Creating a website can sometimes feel like an insurmountable task, especially when the process becomes entangled in complex technology stacks or shifting project goals. After two years of dedicated effort, I am proud to unveil a project that embodies my vision of simplicity, authenticity, and personal growth — a website built entirely on my terms, without unnecessary complexity.

A Reflection on the Journey

Throughout this period, I possessed the technical skills and ideas necessary to build a compelling online presence. However, I realized that I lacked the mindset and clarity to see it through. Previous attempts to develop websites for organizations professing to embrace “innovation” often resulted in frustration—focused projects thwarted by internal hurdles and superficial commitments to progress. These experiences left me exhausted and disillusioned.

Instead of continuing to chase external validation, I decided to craft something solely for myself—a platform that reflects my true self, one that desires to be seen, heard, and understood.

The Philosophy Behind This Build

This website isn’t powered by complicated frameworks or invasive analytics. In fact, I deliberately kept the tech stack minimal: a straightforward React.js setup combined with Markdown. No CSS frameworks, no tracking scripts, no SEO tricks — just honest, handcrafted development.

Key Features and Technical Insights

Here’s a closer look at what I’ve integrated into this personal creation:

Custom Rendered Markdown: Personalized styling for content that’s both clean and functional.
Procedural Backgrounds: Dynamic backgrounds generated through code, currently processed on the CPU. I’m exploring webGPU to offload some of this computation to the GPU for a smoother experience.
Theme Adaptivity: The site responds to theme changes, though ensuring consistent blur effects across all WebKit browsers proved challenging. I welcome suggestions on improving theme awareness.
Embedded PDF Viewer: Utilizing PDF.js, the site displays PDFs seamlessly. I’m seeking ways to customize the viewer’s styling more robustly across devices to match the site’s aesthetic.
Easter Egg & Interactivity: Hidden surprises that invite exploration. If you stumble upon them, I’d love your feedback—roasts, compliments, or insights all welcome.
Commit-Style Posts: Entries are written as code commits, bringing a unique narrative style. Future plans include integrating a lightweight CMS to streamline content management.
Motion & Accessibility: There’s a lot of movement on the site, which might be overwhelming