{"id":5117,"date":"2021-05-10T00:29:21","date_gmt":"2021-05-10T00:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nosmallthing.net\/main\/?p=5117"},"modified":"2021-05-10T15:39:29","modified_gmt":"2021-05-10T15:39:29","slug":"under-construction-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nosmallthing.net\/main\/under-construction-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Under Construction"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Wow. It seems to happen so fast.<\/p>\n

Over the last couple weeks, during walks, I have witnessed a new house going up.<\/p>\n

First, the area was fenced off, then the foundation was poured. A small crew handled the rough framing and insulation. Although I couldn\u2019t see the actual work being done, I considered that plumbing and some basic electrical work had taken place.<\/p>\n

Drywall and interior work will follow.\u00a0 Eventually landscaping. I imagine the property is still owned by a development company, but it won\u2019t be long before new owners take possession.<\/p>\n

As a run of nearby sidewalk has been occupied by lumber and saws, I\u2019ve been enmeshed in my own \u201cconstruction\u201d project.<\/p>\n

A few months ago, I set out to refresh my website. I started my blog, No Small Thing \u2014 Mindful Meditations<\/em><\/strong>, in 2010 so that I would have a gratitude and writing practice. I hoped the goal of posting every week would lead me to contemplate positive experiences more often and brighten my outlook.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s done so much more. Expecting to find things to appreciate all around me changed how I lived.<\/p>\n

When I moved the blog from blogspot to its own address in 2013, I didn\u2019t tell myself it would be the \u201clast time\u201d I\u2019d tinker with things, but not having an easy relationship or skillset around the technology, changing things loomed as a huge undertaking.<\/p>\n

After COVID restrictions reduced options to retail my books (released a year earlier) at farmers markets and other neighborhood events, it became clear that I had to do more promotion with my website.<\/p>\n

Like reading Hebrew right to left, it felt like I had done so many things the opposite of the usual way.\u00a0 Instead of having a business website and adding a blog to humanize the enterprise, I started with a blog. I introduced myself and provided examples of what I do and am now trying to develop a business around sharing what I know with others.<\/p>\n

Maybe this idea is not so unusual. While educational institutions are promoting various certification programs that can be obtained without stepping into a classroom, everyday people, seeing value in their own discoveries, are turning to all different platforms to reach people and provide their own brand of wisdom.<\/p>\n

The process of working in a medium beyond words has been hard for me.<\/p>\n

Finding a designer and developer was challenging. I knew, in general, what I wanted, but not what was required in order to make my plans a reality. I wanted a new look, but I wanted to make ten years of old content available to new readers.<\/p>\n

I also had to deal with current web design trends, which I feel are mostly geared to younger visitors. Websites are now supposed to be \u201cexperienced,\u201d not \u201cread.\u201d\u00a0 There\u2019s so much more that can be done than there was in 2013.<\/p>\n

Still, if my target audience is people my age and the vibe I want is reflective, using pop-ups doesn\u2019t work well.<\/p>\n

I embarked on this project in February. It seems to be coming together just now. It has taken far longer than I anticipated and I know there are still things to work out, but I feel a shift in me. I\u2019m ready to put my best into the world AND keep working on things.<\/p>\n

In the course of this project, I\u2019ve learned how to:<\/p>\n