Building my portfolio website

The joy of creating something new

Creating things has always been a passion of mine. From being a DJ and remixing music in my younger days to exploring design through Photoshop, I discovered the joy of bringing ideas to life. This led me to delve into web design, which eventually paved the way for my career in SEO and digital marketing. However, over the past few years, I felt a strong desire to create again, not just marketing campaigns but tangible web apps and products. This led me on a path of learning to code and building my portfolio website from scratch.

Learning to code

One thing that held me back was the feeling that I couldn't truly learn how to code. I found myself constantly searching for the "best" programming language, wasting time without making progress. Then, in 2020, the pandemic changed our lives and presented an opportunity for self-improvement. I started with focusing on my health and fitness and then turned my attention to intellectual growth. That's when I discovered the CS50 course by Harvard. It was well-recommended and free, so I decided to give it a try. As I watched the lessons, something clicked. I realized that my issue wasn't finding the perfect language; it was not grasping the fundamentals. From that point on, I dedicated myself to practice and improvement.

A little better everyday

Despite my continuous learning and experimentation, I hadn't shipped anything substantial. It was time to change that. Creating ldpuri.com from scratch became my first major project to ship. Every aspect of this website was coded by me, with the assistance of some libraries. Throughout the process, I encountered questions and discovered knowledge gaps I didn't even know existed. Each project brought its unique challenges, and overcoming them fueled my learning. This approach mirrors my journey as a digital marketer, constantly pushing myself to grow.

Why build this website?

I haven't shared my thoughts and learnings with others as much as I would like. Part of it was feeling inadequate as a writer, and part of it was not believing I had much to say. However, over the past three years, I've learned that practice makes you better. This blog and website serve as my platform to practice the skills I am learning and hopefully provide value to others by sharing my experiences and progress.

Goals with this website

My ultimate goal is to continue honing my skills, sharing my learnings, and adding value to those who visit. I aim to create a space where I can contribute to the community and engage in meaningful conversations. Additionally, this website serves as a showcase of my capabilities as a developer and digital marketer.

Technologies used

• Next.js (React framework) for my frontend
• Typescript to write more robust Javascript
• TailwindCSS to make writing CSS a breeze
• Vercel for hosting
• Sanity for headless CMS
• Sendgrid for transactional emails
• Github to version control my code

What's next?

Now that my portfolio site is up and running, I am already brainstorming ideas for my next project. I aspire to create a tool or delve into the marketing tech space to address specific challenges and provide useful solutions. The journey of creation and learning continues, and I am excited for what lies ahead.