The Calm Right Smack in the Middle of the Storm!

I put up a website for my not-so-secret other identity!

It took a while to get there, behind the scenes, for sure.

I just wanted there to be a place where I could redirect people to if they wanted to know more about the services I offer. 

I wasn’t even looking for anything fancy; a simple page that was more like a profile or a placeholder or whatever you call it.

I was having such problems with the complexity of the web design process (to those of you who helped with prior incarnations of the attempted website adventure–thank you! If you’re reading this, you know who you are!).

I didn’t want to go through WordPress for this, as it felt like overkill for the simple site I wanted, and I wasn’t looking at taking on another blog, and I just found using both Wix and Weebly to be a headache of a different flavour (yes, again, you think I would have learned from my first go-round with both platforms, but apparently not! Ha!).

And then an email from Mailchimp popped into my inbox when I was catching up on emails, telling me they were now offering website design through them.

What the heck, I said. And I gave it a try. 

It was exactly what I needed at this juncture, when I’m trying to bring in some $$$ as cheaply as possible (I chose the free version, of course) but it was perfect. I can go in and reedit it as I need to, I had just the stock photos I was looking for, and I could have the simple, basic, one-pager I needed, and I can upgrade when I get some income coming in and I continue to grow my preexisting business. 

I don’t get up to a lot of promo stuff on this blog (well, except for books and nonhuman animal- and environmental rights, that is!) but holy cow, I would completely recommend Mailchimp website feature!

I have been so stressed and overwhelmed and so oddly emotional and I just needed to have this free website process be easy and uncomplicated–a page I could just set it and leave it and I wouldn’t even have to maintain on a regular basis. And in this world where all this tech that should be making our lives easier instead feels like it makes our lives 100 percent more complicated, Mailchimp was like an oasis.

For real.

I can’t speak for the expanded and paid versions, but I feel that if my initial experience using Mailchimp’s free web design feature is anything to go by, Mailchimp is innovatingly mindful in this chaotic world.

Here’s the link to the simple website I did–please let me know what you think in the comments below!

(Honestly, though, I’m just so relieved to have it done, finally! It seems like a website would be such a small thing in the grand scheme of things, but it felt like a mountain-sized load!)

A big shout-out once again to Mailchimp!

https://kirsten-lee-barger.mailchimpsites.com/

 

Aether and its Feline Minions…

A quick-as-air post this week! 

I don’t know how I did this before the shutdown: juggle writing and the day job and all the other life stuff. Right now, even without the day job, it feels like I have too many balls up in the air. But I’m submitting to lots of great writing opportunities, like this call for “Whodunit” mystery stories, hosted by Jersey Pines Ink: https://www.jerseypinesink.com. (Click the Submissions tab or just scroll down.)

Annnd, it looks like I might have my manuscript polished and ready for #PitMad. I don’t want to rush it, though, because I’d rather have a finished manuscript over submitting something that’s not as best as I can (re)write it.

In the meantime, I’ve been writing about the air element and kitty cats! Check out the elemental-themed post on Mookychick (https://www.mookychick.co.uk/health/witchcraft-spirituality/exploring-the-aether-realm-when-all-is-shut-down.php), and the story I wrote for Katzenworld (https://katzenworld.co.uk/2020/05/21/the-cat-that-watches-through-time/)!

Have a fantastic rest of the week, and hope it’s filled with lots of flights-of-fancy!