Everyone knows 2020 has been a nasty yr. Nonetheless, I really feel compelled to proceed the custom of writing my end-of-year assessment, to replicate on my targets and achievements (private {and professional}). Writing issues down will help make sense of a yr that has typically made little or no sense. For me personally, and little doubt for a lot of of you too, there have been many instances all through the previous 12 months the place I’ve felt caught in limbo, and that I’m not attaining very a lot in any respect. So I’m penning this to rejoice the highlights and the small wins (in addition to reminding myself they exist). However (as Hidde additionally acknowledges in his end-of-year publish), it doesn’t imply the yr has been with out its lowlights. Don’t really feel unhealthy in case your largest win this yr has been simply getting by it. It’s the identical for me, and numerous others.
Redesigning and re-platforming this website
My objective initially of the yr was to re-vamp this weblog, and in early January I gave it a brand new visible therapy. I’d meant to do a serious refactor and re-platform it to Eleventy on the similar time, or at the very least earlier within the yr, however in the long run I didn’t find yourself doing so till November 2020. I wrote just a little concerning the new tech stack and a few of the selections.
Writing
I wrote a complete of 30 posts for this weblog, plus one publish for CSS Tips on theming with Tailwind and customized properties. My hottest publish (when it comes to web page views) was Why I Don’t Have Time For Your Coding Problem, a rant concerning the many explanation why coding challenges usually are not a great way to rent folks. It appeared to hit a nerve for lots of people!
Subsequent yr I’d like to slot in a pair extra visitor posts for different websites if I can. Writing for CSS Tips particularly is all the time a pleasure.
Talking
I used to be because of communicate at CSS Day again in June, which might’ve been probably the most thrilling talking alternative of my profession thus far. I used to be additionally trying ahead to assembly a few of my net improvement heroes and friends in individual. For sure, that occasion didn’t occur, and sadly it gained’t occur in 2021 both. I hope CSS Day returns sooner or later, and that I get one other alternative to talk there, however within the meantime I’m grateful to have been requested.
I had meant to chop again just a little on talking at occasions and conferences in comparison with the earlier yr, and the truth that most occasions moved on-line in 2020 made me really feel much less inclined to chase talking alternatives. For me, talking is extraordinarily exhausting work, made worthwhile by the chums and connections I’ve made at occasions. That aspect is sort of completely lacking from on-line occasions, and for probably the most half I discover the preparation work exhausting, with out the reward of the in-person ambiance and instantaneous suggestions.
That mentioned, I used to be honoured to be invited to talk at a couple of on-line occasions this yr, and those I agreed to have been 100% worthwhile. Talking at two occasions run by Smashing was a private profession spotlight for positive. The group have put loads of effort into making an amazing on-line convention expertise, with numerous interplay. I hope that when life lastly returns to one thing like normality, I’ll have the possibility to talk in individual.
Studying
In late 2019 I began a brand new job as Lead Entrance Finish Developer at Atomic Smash, so 2020 has been an amazing yr of studying at work. Apart from engaged on growing our inside entrance finish framework and processes, and finishing some difficult tasks, like many workplaces we’ve needed to be taught to work as a totally distant group. I’m massively pleased with how we’ve tailored, and the extent of communication we’ve retained.
As for my private net improvement tinkering and facet tasks, the issues I’ve liked enjoying round with in CSS this yr are customized properties, Movement Path, gradients and 3D transforms. I’m additionally actually having fun with utilizing GSAP for animation, particularly the ScrollTrigger plugin. This culminated in spending loads of time making a 3D scrolling animation based mostly on the Radiohead music Bizarre Fishes: most likely probably the most time-consuming demo I’ve ever made!
See the Pen
Bizarre Fishes by Michelle Barker (@michellebarker)
on CodePen.
Amazingly Alex Trost featured it in his superior publication, Frontend Horse.
Mentoring
I’ve achieved a little bit of mentoring this yr, each in work and outdoors of it. Whereas I’ve had some nice conversations and shared some (hopefully useful!) assets, I really feel like that is one thing I have to get higher at. What makes it exhausting will not be understanding how “profitable” the recommendation is, which to an extent you simply have to simply accept is inevitable. There are numerous elements that may affect somebody’s progress, and mentoring is only one of them. However listening is a ability that we will all enhance on.
At instances it has additionally been fairly tiring organising night mentoring periods on-line after a full day of labor, so I have to work on placing the best steadiness.
Private life
The one upside (if you happen to can name it that) of this complete pandemic state of affairs is that working from residence has given me extra incentive to prioritise actions away from the display screen. My son began college this yr, and dealing from residence means I can stroll him to high school earlier than beginning work.
A few years in the past I performed the drums in a band. I haven’t performed for a very very long time, however this yr I purchased myself an digital equipment and have performed roughly each day. It’s been a lifeline, and I’m so glad I did it. I’ve additionally been baking much more this yr. It’s one thing I take pleasure in doing, however didn’t really feel I had loads of time for earlier than. Since my son was born I really feel like I haven’t had time for any hobbies outdoors of net improvement and writing about net improvement which, as I additionally do it for my day job, won’t be the recipe for probably the most wholesome life-style. So that is the yr I’ve lastly discovered a form of equilibrium.
Objectives for 2021
I’m not setting myself any main targets for the approaching yr. I’ve some concepts of issues that I wish to be taught, however I’m additionally joyful to see the place issues take me, and gained’t beat myself up an excessive amount of if my work leads me someplace completely different. So largely my targets are to take issues straightforward, hold writing and hold making artistic issues. Comfortable New 12 months!
