I want to redesign my website. I've wanted to do this for a long time. I've been ignoring it for a long time because it's a lot of work. But now I finally want to tackle the project. I also want to start a blog, which obviously has to be on the website, and that's one more reason to finally start the redesign.
I actually started last November. I had designed a new logo and started working on the website—it even looked the way I wanted it to—but then I made a wrong click and reset everything. After that, I was so demotivated and just didn't want to continue.
But now it's back to normal. I'm on vacation and have a bit more time for it than usual. And it's part of my new "master plan." It's a bit odd to call it that, but the name seems quite fitting. I want to work more focused on my goal of illustrating a children's book someday. The website will serve as a portfolio, and the blog will serve as a kind of diary that will hopefully keep me on track.
Why starting a blog?
A portfolio only contains finished illustrations, maybe a few character design sheets, but I don't have much "finished" work to present in a portfolio yet. To keep myself aware of everything I'm currently learning and accomplishing on the path to finished illustrations, I want to document processes, exercises, and thoughts in the blog.
Start of the redesign
Redesigning the website is time-consuming because I'm working with WordPress, not any kind of builder. I started with a simple builder system, but the design limitations were too great for me. WordPress is also significantly cheaper than the builder systems I initially had with my provider, so I need to get more acquainted with it. WordPress doesn't work on its own; you have to install additional plugins, which you also have to get used to. I work a lot with YouTube tutorials. It's always the same because I don't do anything for a long time and then forget how everything works.
When I get worried that it might be too complicated for me, I remember that when I was 15, I taught myself how to code using HTML and created—or rather, wrote—a multi-page website using only the text editor "Notepad." Then 34-year-old Christian will probably be able to do it too. Admittedly, my 15-year-old self didn't have as much other knowledge in mind, plus all the worries and responsibilities surrounding family, household, and work... but still! Just because a task is complex has never stopped me from tackling it anyway.
How to start?
I started with a tiny brainstorming session on my iPad in Freeform. I photographed websites of illustrators and artists and noted what I liked about them. I also wrote down everything I needed or wanted to have on my website.
I'm not starting completely from scratch, either, because I created a new logo last year that I wanted to feature prominently on the website. Just like Poopikat and Isabella Agosti. And I'd already thought about the basic design.
I've been undecided for a while about whether I should stick with "Kryssy," but for now, I'm sticking with it. I guess at some point it will just become "Christin Seidl," but honestly, I just don't feel like dealing with changing the domain right now.
I've been working on the "new homepage" for two hours now, and so far I haven't accomplished much other than watching tutorials on how to create a blog in Elementor. It's August 11th, and I'm curious to see when the site will be ready for me to officially release it again.
I hope you will read this soon and many more blog entries 🙂