April 15, 2025
Surfing the Indie Web has become my hobby. Reading blogs about niche hobbies, admiring unique layouts, experiencing people expressing themselves on a sites they built... Coming from social media, it's such a refreshing change.
One day, I stumbled upon a blog tag game. Simple - bloggers answer questions and tag another ones to join the game.
I wasn't specifically tagged, but as anyone was welcomed to join, I decided to celebrate 20 posts written on this blog (woohoo!) with entering as well.
Why did you make the blog in the first place?
This - the most recent one - started when I was thinking about my freelance career. I wanted to have a blog filled with useful design/writing articles to show that I am knowledgeable about those topics. I used to make my own spot illustration as well, as a way to market my services.
I quickly learned that a freelance career isn't right for me, and without any motivation to make it to the top of the Google searches, the blog halted as well.
It was only recently when i became so fed up with the modern internet and social media that I just had to do something. I decided to return to my roots. Write about things that I find interesting. No SEO, no sellable phrases, no pressure to earn likes or comments. I reused one of my exiting posts about ZRPGs as a base, but I found other ones I created a bit too stiff.
Now, this blog serves as a mix of a journal, escape and maybe some kind of a rebellion against the state of Web. I enjoy it tremendously.
Why did you choose [the blogging software/platform/tool you use]?
I used to hardcode every post (which is great for having everything under control), but also... Auch. It was a loooot of work. Very inflexible. I spend way too much time on technical side of things instead of just writing. Once I tried to properly embed a youtube video and it almost killed me.
Since I started writing more and more (and more just using my iPad), moving into something dedicated to blogging seemed like a wise option.
Very recently I switched Leafpub because it was lightweight and free from unnecessary functions (and I really dislike Wordpress and its security issues). It's an abandoned project - not perfect, but does what it's supposed to do!
I made the shift and all the CSS adjustments on my iPad, by the way. It was awful.
Have you blogged on other platforms before?
Oh yes. I think was blogging since I had an access to the Internet. It all started with fan blogs about my favorite musicians (on blog.onet.pl, no longer existing polish blogging platform) - which also ignited my ✧ graphic design passion ✧.
Then I was blogging more about lifestyle and books (on blogger), and lastly I switched into educational/informative content (on wordpress).
I probably tried few more platforms just to check them out as well, can't remember names.
Do you write your posts directly in the editor or in another software?
I always write everything in Scrivener first - I have PC and iPad/iPhone versions.
Truth be told, I am usually not a fan of paid software. But I love this one wholeheardedly - I write a lot, so I need a good and versatile tool for it. I can access my writing offline and on mobile, and easily make backups which I keep on Dropbox and external drive. Also, I have separate folders for Blog, Original Fiction and Fanfiction, which keeps everything nicely organised.
After the post is done in Scrivener, I copy it to my blogging software, add photos, links and proper formatting.
When do you feel most inspired to write?
I am the most creative in the mornings and I almost exclusively write in that time of the day. I try my best writing daily - be it fiction, fanfiction or just blog posts - so I don't try to rely on inspiration but rather determination/habit. The most difficult part is usually fighting the starting friction ayway - and then it all goes smoothly.
But to be honest, I am passionate about many things and rarely feel write block. Writing comes naturally to me and it's my preferred form of expressing my thoughts, so I kind of need it.
Do you publish immediately after writing or do you let it simmer a bit as a draft?
I usually let it simmer for at least one night. I do the same with my art.
Your favorite post on your blog?
Oh.
Hmmm.
Hmm.
Hmmmmmmm.
Probably ZRPG one. I think it's a fairly unknown but interesting topic.
Any future plans for your blog? Maybe a redesign, changing the tag system, etc.?
Not now!
I'll think about incorporating the blog more into my main site (with my main site's header and footer) but I'm currently away from my PC and doing any webdev on iPad is... you don't want to know the horrors...
For now, I'm happy with it. It's minimalistic, just the way I like it.
If you own a blog, feel free to join!
1. Why did you make the blog in the first place?
2. Why did you choose [the blogging software/platform/tool you use]?
3. Have you blogged on other platforms before?
4. Do you write your posts directly in the editor or in another software?
5. When do you feel most inspired to write?
6. Do you publish immediately after writing or do you let it simmer a bit as a draft?
7. Your favorite post on your blog?
8. Any future plans for your blog? Maybe a redesign, changing the tag system, etc.?