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Autumn Garden Updates—Planting Seeds of Imperfection

October 26, 2025
2 min read
Two cartoon children in a pumpkin patch at sunset; one smiles and holds up a small pumpkin while the other looks unimpressed, with vines and a fence in the background. Image from "It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."

Quick update.

I made some autumn/halloween changes to my website. A more readable body font, a cute lil’ floating ghost welcoming you on the homepage, and a seasonal floral hero image.

To be honest, I haven’t a clue what I’m gonna do with this blog. I see it going in many different directions, but two things for certain: I’d like to get more comfortable writing anything I please, in any way I want. I’m exhausted at my ability to procrastinate in the face of perfectionism. I don’t care if the post is too long or too short. I don’t care if one moment I’m talking about music or psychology, and the next moment discussing web development. Topics will wander, and that’s okay. This is my haven of self-expression; it’s less about being perfectly manicured or building to cater to a specific audience.

Digital Gardens

Right, the second part: My posts will likely start as seedlings and grow from there.

While reading Maggie Appleton’s article on Digital Gardens I fell in love with the idea of posts having an indicator of how "done" they are:

  • 🌱 “Seedling” for very rough and early ideas
  • 🌿 “Budding” for work that’s been cleaned up and clarified
  • 🌳 “Evergreen” for work that is reasonably complete (though still may be tended over time)

I'll most likely build this feature in soon because it will help me feel more comfortable posting without the need of perfection—a pattern that’s caused me more stress than I care to admit.

In garden-land, that process of researching and refining happens on the open internet. You post ideas while they’re still “seedlings,” and tend them regularly until they’re fully grown, respectable opinions.

Maggie Appleton, A Brief History & Ethos of the Digital Garden

She touched on this idea of digital gardens sitting right in-between "chaos streams" and "cultivated performance"...

Screenshot of Maggie Appleton's digital garden showing her growth stages legend

... and that sounds like a perfectly cozy spot for me.

So, enjoy the view as I begin to cultivate a humble digital garden that is both “intimate and public, weird and welcoming.” May we all celebrate our imperfections and dare to learn in public!

Now... back to finishing Animations on the Web.

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