Thank you, Thu, for tagging me for this challenge. One could say I have a certain knack for questions—and answering them. And what is better than to nerd out about processes and tech stacks?
Why did you start blogging in the first place?
I never called any of my writing sections a blog, nor did I ever see myself as a person who blogs. But I do write, and it has something soothing to share it with people who find my site and will read one or two notes. A friendly handshake. A welcome hug into my complex world.
Blogging is an outlet for nagging or beautiful thoughts, a place to try out new things, or (indirectly) ask for opinions from others. It offers moments to sit and reflect. Talking myself through things that are on my mind.
What platform are you using to manage your blog and why did you choose it?
This site went through a lot of iterations. 20 to be exact. It started with plain HTML and CSS, then used Hugo as a static approach with content written in markdown for a few versions. The most recent version was built with Next.js and Contentlayer (also markdown), finally leading to this iteration: using Kirby for a more streamlined publishing workflow.
Kirby is my CMS of choice for all new projects, both personal and professional. With powerful customisations and a simple interface, it is the best choice for almost anything. Using it also supports a small, bootstrapped team of eager developers—and we love that.
Have you blogged on other platforms before?
All my former personal sites included some writing-related sections, and I have also written a few posts on Medium.
The only other site that stuck—and where I still occasionally publish something—is gedanken.linusrogge.com. There, I (mainly) write in German, and more dreamy, poetry-inspired texts without much of a red thread. The last post is almost exactly two years old, but I intend to publish more again—also refreshing the appearance with a new design already in the making.
Design draft for gedanken.linusrogge.com
How do you write your posts? For example, in a local editing tool, or in a panel/dashboard that’s part of your blog?
For most of my writing, I use Craft. Compared to other editing tools, it outweighs any alternative with its seamless writing and formatting experience. It’s all markdown in the end, but the small interactions do make a difference. I also love its “Focus Mode” to hide all unnecessary UI elements. And, it has a great mobile app, too.
Sometimes, I also write directly in Kirby. My posts are structured using their Blocks field which makes styling, but also formatting the final post much easier than one large rich-text field. If I ever wanted to include elaborate graphs or running code examples, I could simply build a block for it and add it into the content.
When do you feel most inspired to write?
I wish I had found the answer to this question myself. It is super random. Many initial ideas come from some kind of input during my day—a book, music, a chat with a friend, taking a shower, a sign I read or when I am frustrated about something.
Another aspect I noticed is that I can best focus on writing when I know I have little to no responsibility in a moment. I try to be available for close people always, so sometimes it is hard to make time for myself. Hence, it’s usually early mornings or late nights—both mostly on weekends.
Do you publish immediately after writing, or do you let it simmer a bit as a draft?
It varies. Depending on the time I have or how complex the thought is. I like to give things time to evolve, and I have noticed that it is a lot easier to improve my writing when I put it aside for a few days or weeks.
One thing I do like Thu, is reading out loud to myself. It helps correct obnoxious sentence structures and duplicate words. To write is also a chance to enhance my vocabulary as I like learning new words.
What are you generally interested in writing about?
Life, or The Human Experience™. I feel like we can grow by recognising that a lot of what we think is weird about us, is in fact what many others feel, too. And that somehow it is our task to search deeply for our core, and what we truly are like. To embrace, fuel, and learn to like this part. It helps to know you are not alone.
Otherwise: history, moments from my life, music, design, love, fictional (short) stories.
Who are you writing for?
I’ve discovered that it’s more helpful for me to write things for myself, rather than worrying excessively about how others will perceive them. Not in an “I don’t care what anyone thinks” kind of way (I do care), but to stick to my own idea and feeling of whatever I am writing about. For the beginning, at least. When I plan to publish something beyond a quick note, I can’t deny that I do write for others as well. Eventually, writing is nothing without an audience reading it.
What’s your favourite post on your blog?
Probably “Connection.” Every time I read it (not that I read my own writing every other day), it still feels true. It resonates and makes me think again. Because I still struggle with this fear of opening up. But it is also a reminder to tap into the connections I have, to nurture the love and support I receive from them.
Any future plans for your blog? Maybe a redesign, a move to another platform, or adding a new feature?
The time will surely come, although I don’t have any specific ideas yet. The most recent addition is my Logs page, where I store different types of events from my life. It used to be a stand-alone installation, but I wanted to have it embedded here.
In general, I like the idea of iterating on existing material. Not everything has to be rebuilt from the ground up.
