I just wrapped up a quick, hasty build of this website for two primary reasons:
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I felt like it.
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I just got this NuPhy Air75 v2 keyboard with Cowberry linear switches, and they sound absolutely delightful with each letter I type.
On the technical side, choosing the Astro framework meant departing from the usual React Router–driven Single Page App (SPA) experience I’m used to for launching static sites into the ether. I went with Astro because it felt like a totally different approach and philosophy than what I’d been using recently. It’s well optimized for content-heavy sites like this one.
What I realized during this build was that I wasn’t satisfied with my original resume site from 2023. That was a great first go at a React-driven personal site, but I kept thinking back to the one I tried setting up in 2022 with just Vanilla JS and HTML during my trip to Michigan. There was something so pure and beautiful about that approach. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing something wonderful by constantly chasing the shiniest, fanciest, most modern tools in web development.
There’s a lot to be said for the simplicity of HTML and CSS in front-end work. If it weren’t for my sheer velocity with TailwindCSS, I probably would’ve used plain styles here too. Astro felt like a great compromise; the performance and minimalism of a static HTML site, with the ability to drop in some React components where complexity truly warranted it.
Initially, I coded a few React components out of laziness and unfamiliarity with the Astro ecosystem. But I quickly realized the real value in Astro comes from simplicity. Why add JavaScript where it’s not needed? I found that many components on a simple site like this can thrive as .astro files, no JS required. I also realized how much easier life becomes when you cut back flashy features and animations in favor of simple, solid UX. Users don’t want things floating around and reacting to every little interaction. I think I often design for other designers — people who care about clever technical UX flourishes — when maybe I should focus on simplicity. Sometimes, getting back to basics reveals just how much we’ve been overcomplicating things.
This project also gave me a chance to reflect on my creative past. There are parts of me that are more unhinged, unpolished, and raw. I can’t lose sight of what makes me unique, of what makes me me. I revisited various projects I’ve worked on over the past 10 years, the incredible people I’ve collaborated with, and the output I’ve produced when I was able to push through my perfectionism and executive dysfunction. When I hyper-focus on something, anything feels possible, until the self-care cliff hits and burnout follows. I’ve always been streaky like that, with both music and code.
As much as I try to fit into the tech world, it constantly reminds me that I’m an outsider, and probably always will be. I’m an artist, a creative, a visionary. Corporate jobs can’t satisfy my thirst for self-actualization through the creative process. I need space and resources to experiment. That’s why I chose this profession in the first place: to enable the financial freedom to be who I really am.
Now that the site is live, I’ll be updating the Works section with new projects in the pipeline. I also plan to journal and post more of my thoughts here.
Thanks for checking this out, and stay tuned.