Welcome! My name is Julienne.
I started making websites as a hobby while studying for a Math degree. Like most beginners back then, I enjoyed using Geocities, a popular free web hosting service. Eventually, I realized that web development was my only career choice. For over 15 years, I worked as a PHP programmer and later as a WordPress developer in local and foreign digital agencies.
In 2018, I was diagnosed with dry eyes, and it got progressively worse during the pandemic. Then, the agencies I worked with stopped operations–one closed because of the owner’s retirement. I tried another company by the end of 2022, but its fast-paced environment made me work more hours than my eyes could handle. It also triggered the anxiety I developed during that period.
Deciding to prioritize my health meant making some changes careerwise. I needed a way to manage my screen time better, choose what projects to take, and work at my own pace. So it was grace when, around the same time, I discovered vector graphics as another avenue for income.
Now, I spend my time drawing and writing, which I can do offline. And I will be documenting what I’ve learned here. This website is my reference to remind myself how to do something, and I hope it will also help others in the same way.
If you need to get in touch, email me at julienne@studioaracir.com.
Random
- I have been blogging since 2004.
- I once had a poem published by chance in an anthology book.
- If available, I use free or open-source software.
- Tolkien and Austen fan
- I like taking personality tests.
- Interested in sustainability and simple living
- I miss the old internet. Some articles to read:
- Why the internet isn’t fun anymore by Kyle Chayka
- I miss the internet by Joan Westenberg
- Currently watching/following:
- Rings of Power
- BBC Merlin
- Wheel of Time
- Elementary
Tools I use
Disclosure: This section contains affiliate links, which means that I will receive a commission if you choose to purchase using one of these links, at no extra cost to you.
STABLEPOINT – where I host all my WordPress projects
NAMECHEAP – where I buy domain names
WORDPRESS – an open-source platform for publishing various web content: blogs (like this site), portfolios, and shops, among others.
ASTRA – the WordPress theme I use most of the time
ELEMENTOR – my go-to page builder paired with the Astra theme. Check out my Elementor CSS tutorials.
CANVA – where I design graphics and websites
NOTION – where I document all the stages of my projects
INKSCAPE – open-source vector graphics software
GIMP – open-source image editing software
GRAMMARLY – for checking grammar and clarity of writings. Their free plan is quite sufficient for me.