About 52projects.com
52 projects, and then some…
OCTOBER 2009: 52projects.com has been online since 2002. It’s gone through several iterations. I originally started this site based on an idea I had to present, in simple text format, 52 projects. It was a challenge to myself, to write up projects I had done or planned to do. Some included stories, some did not. For visitors to the site, the goal was not for them to do the projects as written, but to use them as jumping off points for their own ideas. Or to not use them at all, but perhaps just be inspired or reminded to get to work on a project idea that they had been meaning to do.
Those original 52 projects became a book, so I transitioned the site into more of a place to explore projects and project-making in a broader way. The book held the original 52 projects, and 52projects.com featured content such as cool project alerts, project-maker interviews, and resource articles.
Then, after a few years of that, I would say the site got kind of stale. I didn’t get tired of project-making, I guess I just got burnt out on blogging about it. Also, I was focusing on finishing up a novel, and anytime I was sitting in front of my computer, I felt like I should be working on that, and not writing up posts for the site.
And it was during this time that things really began to change in the online space. It became less about personal websites or blogs, and more about Twitter and Facebook. There were new things to explore in terms of using and connecting on the web. Online activity became less about posting and linking on a blog, and more about updates, commenting on updates, friend requests and following.
And yet, there’s a place for all of it, or so I am thinking right now. As of late I have been spending time trying to recalibrate my online efforts and figure out the best way to engage the changing landscape of the online space.
Where I’m at now is having fun figuring out what to do next with 52projects.com. A few months back, I transitioned from Typepad to WordPress. I’m now in the process of posting content from my books and organizing it in a way that makes sense on a website. Later this year, I’ll be working with a design team to build a more custom template. Once the redesign is done, I will be posting my novel, and exploring ways to present a novel in the online space and connect with people using digital devices to read books.
And yes, I’m still taking and posting pictures of food, fall, and the tree.
I’m excited for this next iteration of 52projects, but I will say this: the one thing that has stayed consistent is that it’s all about projects. The basis for the original idea to start this site holds: I love projects and project-making.
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