Just like everyone else on neocities, I am not the biggest fan of social media. I spend way too much time on it and haven't been able to curate an experience I enjoy. Rage bait seems ever present and sometimes it's nice to just stop doing all that.
I've been an artist since I was very young, and design is another avenue I am looking to explore. I tend to be a perfectionist with my work and fear putting it online until it's "perfect" for whatever audience that may be. This has KILLED my creative drive in the past and sent me into several years of no creativity. Having my own website has been therapeutic in a way. I know strangers can read and see what I'm thinking, but there's no pressure of getting their approval. So my website may not always look the prettiest and my art may not be the best, but this is me!
My interest in coding has always been there, but I never realized how accessible it is to learn until very recently. I've been playing catchup it feels like trying to understand just the basics of CSS. A secret dream of mine has been to make video games, and I know there's LOTS of tools for that these days, but I want to really make it. Definitely will take some time before I'm even to that point, but it's one of my goals.
I have lived my life fearing not being good enough, and that fear has robbed me of so many opportunities. I haven't even given myself a chance. I felt ruled by the pressures of liking what everyone else did or seeking others approval, and that's just holding me back.
I much prefer the idea of naturally finding my people to searching for them in social media. It can be easy to get locked into echo chambers by the algorithms. I want to surround myself with a variety of people, ideas, and interests because that is what community is all about. I think building your own website is really a great way to explore new interests and share ideas. There's no pressure to be seen or heard (you certainly can do that though), and there's no rules for what you can and can't say.
This website serves as my personal haven, and I can share it with whoever I want, or they can find it themselves! I don't care!