The first thing I want to say is that building a website today is nothing like it was in the early 1990s.
For me, that original era was so much simpler. You learned basic HTML, navigated DOS, and found a free home space on the web—FortuneCity was my personal favorite! In my mind, it was straightforward: you wrote the code, and the web page worked.
Then Windows took over, DOS faded into history, and the tools I knew inside and out vanished. Suddenly, I had to adapt to new, modern programs. People called them “user-friendly,” but to me, that felt like a complete misnomer! Modern editors felt far more complicated than writing simple code ever did.
I can’t even count how many times I tried to build a page, threw my hands up in the air, and said, “NO! I can’t do this!”
Step-by-Step Traps and the WordPress Rivalry
I tried those free “30 Days to a Blog” courses that walk you through step-by-step. Sounds nice, right? Not for me. I was still stuck in my own way, and frankly, those “step-by-step” guides felt like they were written for people who already had a solid grip on the program!
And then came WORDPRESS.
If it’s possible to passionately hate an inanimate piece of software, WordPress was mine. It made zero sense to me. Here I was—someone who knew HTML and DOS inside and out—and I couldn’t get this “easy” program to do what I wanted. It was the absolute bane of my existence.
So, I deleted it all, threw my hands up, and walked away.
The Turning Point: Asking the Hard Question
When you stand in your own way, you eventually have to take a step back and ask yourself two critical questions:
- Is this frustration worth it?
- Is my dream stronger than my frustration with a software program?
Sometimes you just have to step back, take a breather, and figure out a smart workaround.
And that is exactly what I did. Enter: BraveNet.
It was a hosting platform I could set up for free and actually work with. Best of all, I didn’t have to use WordPress to design my site. It was a strong, empowering new beginning.
Lesson Learned: Get Out of Your Own Way
If this process taught me anything, it’s that you have to step out of your comfort zone. Times change, programs change, and systems evolve. You really only have two choices: learn or leave.
I am definitely not a quitter, so I chose to learn—and I’m still learning as I go. Finding tools like BraveNet helped me bridge the gap, regain my confidence, and finally build a digital home for my creative work.
That was a beginning for me on a new road to creativity. And guess what? I use WordPress, go figure huh? For as much as I hated it. I will explain the acceptance of that program another time.
Over to You:
Have you ever tried learning a software program that made you want to throw your computer out the window?
Did you push through, find a workaround, or walk away?
Tell me your worst tech headache story in the comments!
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