I started this blog on August 24, 2007. That’s 18 years (6,575 days) which means this blog is now an adult.
Happy Birthday!
I had no idea that I would still be doing this eighteen years later, when I tentatively installed WordPress on my server, and posted an illustration. I’ve mentioned elsewhere that my pal Roni Noone recommended that I investigate this for professional reasons. I am glad I did.
Using a content management system (CMS) gave me a platform with which I can quickly express myself, and document my ideas and my work. I have been making websites for over twenty five years, and while I love writing code, using a CMS system has given me a lot of time to make the work I want to make, instead of obsessing over design and code.
This site is part of my artistic process. It’s one of the primary devices in my creativity toolbox – one of my effects, if you will. My art doesn’t feel complete until I share it here. Documenting the positive things in my life draws more positive things to my life. I believe that completely. This site has shifted and changed over the years, and has encompassed other blogs I’ve since deleted: the photo-everyday blog I maintained for several years, the daily sketch blog, the press-this Pinterest style blog with hundreds of raccoon photos, and the Tumblr subdomain I kept with, well, raccoon photos.
Some of my favorite posts are becoming involved with WordPress, and getting involved with open source web development. The exhibitions at AVAM, and hanging out with Steve Vai. Getting married, traveling, exhibiting and celebrating years as they go by, and my joie de vivre.
I’ve determined that I have 161,775+ words currently published, and 1313 posts.
As with many other good folks, my interest in WordPress has cooled somewhat this year. Platforms come and go, just as the largest iceberg can melt away to water. You may remember what a behemoth glacier AOL once was, and I never thought Twitter would die. As big as it is,WordPress is just as vulnerable as its leadership, and the perceptions surrounding this open source project. This has been an extremely challenging year in terms of various leaderships. For me, Open Source represents working together and making the world better. It seems like we’ve lost something – a benevolent guidance, perhaps – and I hope it comes back. Regardless, I am grateful for that my involvement with WordPress has brought to my life: community, prosperity, and the most fulfilling kind of success.
I’ve never monetized this blog. I think it’s fine for folks who do that, and there’s nothing wrong with making money. Maybe I should rethink that – I just have enjoyed an ad free experience here.
I miss the days of blogging, and I mostly blame Google for the decline of mass blog consumption. When they killed off Google Reader (in favor of their now forgotten social media platform), interest in blogs seemed to slip. There are other feed readers, but they are competing with Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, substack, and all the other dopamine engines. AI is also drastically changing the web.
Before WordPress existed, I made my own rudimentary CMS using first ASP pages, and then PHP pages. I set up some local businesses with this system. They could publish their own pages and manage images. It worked well enough, and in recent months, I’ve toyed with making my own CMS again (just for my needs here). Maybe by the time this blog reaches 20 years old, I’ll be using something new.
Speaking of new, I’m starting an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Baltimore this week. It’s very likely that I will be posting that work online, too.
Regardless of whether one uses a CMS, a text editor, or even a paper journal, there is great value is writing about something for 18 years. This site convinced me of that.
Thank you for reading.
