It’s funny. When you set up a new WordPress blog, the default sample post is titled “New Blog, New Purpose.” You’re encouraged to delete it, of course. But it’s the perfect opportunity to consolidate my thoughts and aspirations for this project.

I’ve started countless websites and projects, but few had direction or purpose. It’s taken a while to get here, but a vision has finally started to come into focus.

Over the years, I’ve discovered four things I need to feel fulfilled: learning, making, moving, and teaching or helping others. I thrive when I am consistently filling these buckets, and filling them can be done in so many ways.

The main reason for creating this online portfolio and blog is to consolidate my creative projects and other work. But it also serves another purpose – to hold myself accountable while also permitting me to create, fail, and explore.

Also, as I build my career, personal brand, and body of work, having a professional portfolio is another way to build trust in my actions and work. This is a space where I share my personal values alongside my craft, and I hesitate to separate them because they are so intertwined for me. My personal values influence and drive my work, and that is something I will continue to explore.

The test for me will be finding a balance between ambition, consistency, and sustainability – something I failed to do with my last major project, Plus One to Gaming, and led to complete burnout.

From that came many lessons to apply to this new, long-term endeavor. But I am incredibly excited about the journey!