spring is coming with a strawberry in the mouth
I am really pleased with Bear so far and relieved to have stumbled upon so many ‘tiny web’ projects right as I was growing weary of algorithmic validation machines[^1] on major platforms. It’s also refreshing to see many people in their 20s embrace and contribute to a better version of what I remember about web browsing in the 00s 🥹 I will admit that when I first learned of the MySpace clone SpaceHey a year or so ago, I thought it was silly. However, as time passed, I watched my friends’ Instagram activity dwindle and TikToks of people lamenting that they are embarrassed to post anywhere aside from close friends lists. I grew more nostalgic for creative outlets that encouraged creative expression more than “engagement.” MySpace had its issues, but it functioned as a personal website for people who didn’t know how to host one themselves. At age 16, I was immensely proud of my self-hosted blog, a product of long nights spent coding and choosing fonts/color schemes. (I am reminded of an observation made by Lynda Barry: that handwriting [and in the case of a personal website, a preferred font] has its own sort of “accent.”) We have tolerated media giants’ homogenized design for far too long!
I’ve also been thinking about all of the projects I’ve fantasized about in the last few months and how it’s not a coincidence that I would create my blog on the first day of spring, yesterday. I’m less inclined to be productive during the winter for a variety of reasons (overwhelming holidays, less sunlight, etc.), so I’ve decided that the “true start” of the new year is March 19th, 2024.
Anyway, I leave you with this, dear reader: a song I was hyper fixated on last March (after which this post is named) “Spring Is Coming With a Strawberry in the Mouth” by Roger Doyle - YouTube
Caroline Polachek’s cover is pretty neat, but I prefer the original.
[^1]:”algorithmic validation machine” is a term I’m borrowing from bluelander’s blog