This file only contains my personal thoughts on the project. See Read Me for technical info.
This project was one of the most challenging personal projects I've ever taken on. I'll remember the things I learned for the rest of my career.
Being that was the second full web app I've developed, I really wanted to take the time to learn as much as I could about web design; the do's, the don'ts, and the in-betweens. Chances are, you can probably tell if you've looked around enough.
For context, I started this project in the beginning of 2023 and thought I'd have it wrapped up within a month, maybe two. Aside from random bouts of developer's block and time spent on other commitments, I spent all my free time on this app. It wasn't until 8 months and 3 full redesigns later (check my commit history) that I finally published a version I was happy with.
... that's a long time.
Every extra day I spent working on the project, I thought, "man, I should be done by now." All the web dev gurus on social media seemed to be capable of doing the same things that took me days to do in a few minutes. Day after day, the same thought gnawed away at my motivation to continue and, one day, I just stopped – stopped learning, stopped coding, and gave up. I figured I could just come back when I was "better" at web development and everything would be easier.
Fast-forward 2 months later, and I thought about the project; about the thrill of something working like I expected it to, the joy of creating something I could call my own and suddenly, I couldn't care less about how long it had already taken or how much longer it would take. From that day on, I measured my progress to my own standard.
As I'm writing this, I look back and think about if I had continued to let the same thoughts hold me back. That version of me who is "better at web development" would have never been and this project would have never been finished. Out of all the things I learned over the course of this project, this is the most important.
Moral of the story is, don't give up. If you're taking on something new, give yourself the time you need because learning isn't always pretty, simple, or fast. You are in charge of your own growth. Enjoy the process.
Thanks for checking this out!