So here we are. It’s been years since I’ve really put pencil to paper, metaphorically speaking, for a personal blog. I’ve had my bouts of long-form posts on social media platforms but those have never been places I could call home, nor have I ever been completely comfortable with using them as my primary means of making my voice heard. They are just platforms owned by companies, which at a whim can change the terms of engagement or leave you high and dry by shuttering the platforms entirely. For one of those platforms, Google+, we’re edging closer to that moment when the lights turn off for good. The signs on the windows already say “Closing soon, everything must go.” People are flocking to the far corners of the Internet for comfort, new places to make their voices heard.

For me, it’s finally time to do the same. I woke up yesterday morning, feeling oddly more refreshed than most mornings, and just simply said “fuck it” and got to work again on a place to give me a voice, even if it’s just shouting into the void. I opened up Inkscape, looked at my mockups, and pulled a Marie Kondo. Does this part of the site “spark joy”? Or more practically speaking, is this aspect of the design truly necessary to fulfilling my goals and intentions with my small corner of the Internet? If not, let’s discard it. Then, let’s get to work.

Yea I know, the more literal KonMari method is far less cheesy. Though still pretty cheesy.

So while this place may have still feel a bit empty, maybe there’s some flat packs sitting around with furniture not yet constructed, it’s a place I can call home. I can paint the walls whatever colors I like, hang up any paintings that have been sitting in the closet, put anything I want out as the centerpiece. This place is where I can talk about a wide variety of topics that I find of interest, it’s where I can showcase who I am as a human being, maybe even eventually highlight other extraordinary humans and amplify their voice.

There’s no rules here. No terms of service that I have to worry about. No concerns about losing my voice when those platforms shutter. Just me and my words.