Recently, the folks at Hosting.com published a feature about my work across development, design, and music. It was a nice opportunity to reflect on the different paths I've taken over the years, so I thought I'd take a moment to talk a bit about where I am today and what comes next.
It's funny, but after nearly three decades of working in web and media dev, I've found myself in a place I didn't quite expect to be. I'm genuinely excited about web development again, and a large part of that has to do with emerging open-source technologies and optimized workflows. It feels like a second wind, and I have to say I'm really enjoying it.
I've been building websites since 1998, and for most of that time WordPress has been a central part of it (since 2004). I know it like the back of my hand, which also means I'm very familiar with its limitations as well as its strengths. In all fairness, it's been an incredible tool, and I wouldn't have been able to do what I've done over the past 20-plus years without it. But even the best tools eventually start to show their age.
I love WordPress and currently manage around 30 WordPress sites (between my own projects and clients), but over the past year keeping up with security patches, updates and performance issues has become increasingly demanding, which left me wondering if there was a better way of streamlining everything.
So last August, I started looking into WordPress alternatives. I wanted something I could rely on for both personal and client sites, with less maintenance and more freedom to build, and eventually settled on Astro. Since then, I've been getting acquainted with the framework and quietly migrating sites over to it. I'm still learning, experimenting, and figuring out the best ways to approach different projects, but I'm already seeing the benefits. Site builds have been leaner and more secure, with far less upkeep, and look absolutely fantastic on mobile. I have way more control and flexibility over how everything comes together, but more importantly, it's opened up a lot of possibilities for ideas that would have been difficult or cumbersome to pull off in WordPress (including this site). It's changed the way I think about building websites again, and given me a reason to revisit ideas I've wanted to explore but haven't been able to for a very long time.
On a more personal note, one thing that hasn't changed over the years is how much I value the relationships I've built along the way. I still have clients I've been working with for more than two decades, and I'm grateful for the trust they've placed in me. I've never seen this work as simply building a project, handing it over, and moving on.
I've always viewed what I do as a symbiotic relationship, and the best part of what I do has always been the opportunity to foster creative partnerships. I want to understand what my clients are trying to accomplish, help them figure out the best way to get there, and be around to support them as things evolve.
So, if you're reading this and you're having a second wind of your own... whether you're starting a business, developing a new project, rethinking your website, or finally getting around to that idea you've been sitting on... I'd genuinely love to hear about it. If you've got something in the works, get in touch.
