Why I rebuilt my site
This very website started as a “I should really fix my portfolio” moment and turned into a full rebuild from scratch. I didn't want to keep paying for Squarespace or fight against template constraints that made everything look generic and limited what I could do with layout, interactions, and content structure.
What I set out to do
The goal was simple: a fast, clean, content-first site that I fully understand and control. No black-box CMS, no drag-and-drop page builder—just hand-crafted pages where I decide how projects, publications, teaching, and photography are organized and presented.
How I built it
I used ChatGPT as a coding and design copilot, especially for the JavaScript that powers components and interactions, while still wiring everything together myself. I iterated on layout, typography, and component structure until the site felt like a cohesive system rather than a collection of pages. Everything from navigation to project cards is now custom, version-controlled, and easy for me to extend as my work evolves.