On the purpose of this website

While I have a different post about the process of making this website, this one is more about my motivation for doing so. Despite the care I put into the design and the content, this place isn’t necessarily intended to be read by a large audience. It’s main purpose is to motivate me to do more things and reflect on what I’ve done.

Some context: autodidacticism

I love to spend my spare time on all kinds of projects. Given my educational background in computer science, I often find myself working on software projects: websites, apps, simple scripts for automating tasks, etc. But I also enjoy working on more creative things: design, video editing, photography, and so on. I find learning to do things I haven’t done before to be a lot of fun. Typically, it involves a lot of googling, watching tutorials, and reading documentation.

Aside from it being fun, a driving force behind my autodidacticism is the desire to be more self-sufficient. If there is something I need, be it for myself, for a project, or for someone else, I want to be able to do it myself. While I do not want to undervalue the expertise of and need for professionals in certain environments, I believe that a lot of things can be done by oneself with a bit of effort. This is especially true in the digital realm, where the tools are often freely available and the knowledge is easily accessible.

A place to keep track and reflect

As a result, I have taken on a variety of projects over the years, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. On this website, chiefly the portfolio section, I keep track of things I’ve finished. Writing articles about them helps me reflect on what I’ve done and what I’ve learned, and it hones my writing skills somewhat.

While having other people read all these articles is not the main purpose, the fact that people may visit this site is a good motivator to keep it up to date and to keep working on new projects. It provides an extra incentive to remain productive. Regarding the thoughts and content sections of this site, it also drives me to respectively organize my thoughts and review the different types of media I consume. These sections aren’t as extensive as the portfolio and career sections yet, but I hope to expand them in the future.

What it’s not

While I was browsing for inspiration for this website, I came across many portfolio websites. Designers and developers typically structure their sites around their skills, showcasing their best work. For those trying to sell their services, this makes sense, but this website is not intended to be a sales pitch. While you’re free to contact me (just e-mail me at wessel@wesselvandam.nl), I’m not actively looking for freelance work — my job and projects are currently keeping me busy enough.

At the same time, what you see on this website is not an exhaustive list of everything I’ve ever done (or thought about). Some projects are too small to be worth writing about, others I find not interesting enough to share. Besides, I have a lot of ideas for articles on the thoughts and content sections on the backburner — hopefully, I’ll get around to writing them eventually.

About the image:
One of my ongoing projects is to get better at photography and photo editing. When I got a fancy chess set from my parents, I practiced taking photos of it — this is one of the results. Getting better at chess is also on my list, but when my online play started to interfere with my productivity, I put it on hold. Autodidacticism is great, but at times I have a hard time getting my priorities straight.