added post "new blog" (#1)

content/posts/new-blog.md

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+---
+title: "so I made a blog"
+date: 2024-11-20T18:39:22-07:00
+author: me
+draft: true
+toc: false
+images:
+tags: 
+  - feels
+---
+
+So here we are. I made a blog.
+
+## why
+
+I can't remember all the times that I've read about the upsides of writing a professional blog, but I've heard it enough that at this point I consider it typical modern advice. The basic idea iiuc is that it's a tool for connecting with others in your field, growing your "brand", and demonstrating how you work.
+
+## why me? why now?
+
+This advice generally didn't appeal to me for a couple reasons.
+1) I'm not super professionally-oriented in how I think. I.e., I like to do math and coding because it's fun, not because I want some big company to help me play make-number-bigger simulator with my bank account. (But also it's hard to turn away from big-tech money.)
+2) I've never felt important enough to have my words heard. "Why should anyone want to hear what I have to say? I'm just one person, I'm not working on anything earth-shattering, this is just amateur work. This isn't interesting enough to have a whole platform." These were the kinds of thoughts I'd have.
+
+However, I also remember working on projects in the past, in particular when I was out of work living in my mother's basement (okay it wasn't the basement that's not the point), insistent that I would work my way towards a programming job through personal projects. While I did eventually succeed in that after ~3 years, I experienced a deep depression in the process with which I only now, ~5 years later, have (nearly) ceased grappling.
+
+What I now realize (aside from needing to be more practical with how I approach professional development) is this:
+
+*Even if the stuff I work on is not important, finding a way to communicate it is.* 
+
+Being able to share my work in a meaningful way, even if just with personal friends, adds a lot of value to the work itself. E.g., I think this is especially important for me now, having just quit a big-tech job and taking a break from employment for a bit.
+
+So. Here we are.
+
+## what am I trying to achieve here?
+
+I just want a place where I can put down & share thoughts. Likely this will be primarily coding process post-mortems, but I want to leave it open to other content as well.
+
+I don't plan to write on any particular schedule; when I have content, time and energy, I'll write content.

hugo.toml

@@ -5,3 +5,16 @@ theme = 'hermit-v2'
 
 # more config options exemplified at
 # https://github.com/1bl4z3r/hermit-V2/blob/main/hugo.toml.example
+
+[params]
+  dateform        = "Jan 2, 2006"
+  dateformShort   = "Jan 2"
+  dateformNum     = "2006-01-02"
+  dateformNumTime = "2006-01-02 15:04 -0700"
+
+[menu]
+
+  [[menu.main]]
+    name = "Posts"
+    url = "posts/"
+    weight = 10