Building Creativity with Code: My Journey into CSS Art

        The holidays are just around the corner, and this time of year is a favorite for my girlfriend and our son. We tend to go all out, often splurging on decorations we don’t reuse and attending multiple Christmas events. Last year, we even took a weekend trip to Disney. This year, however, things will be a bit different. There won’t be any Disney trips, and my girlfriend and I decided to skip exchanging gifts. We're prioritizing our son’s holiday, but with money being tight, we’re cutting back on extras for ourselves.

    This past weekend, we focused on a bigger priority—getting her a new car. Her old one was falling apart, so she purchased a compact SUV, which is more reliable but also more expensive. It was a necessary decision, but it’s put added pressure on our budget. We’ve also been talking about saving for a house, which feels more urgent since our apartment is becoming less livable. It’s cramped, expensive, and showing its age with cracks in the walls and ceilings. A house has always been our dream, but with the rising costs of everything, it feels like a distant goal.

    In my last blog, I mentioned that the annual inventory at my job was coming up. Since I work in inventory, I’m responsible for managing and overseeing the entire process, which translates to long hours and minimal sleep. The inventory actually took place this past Sunday, and I’m proud of how I managed the day overall. My responsibilities included freezing inventory, assigning identifying tags to all items, formatting and printing inventory cycle counts, running progress reports, posting adjustments, and keeping the Finance team and management informed on the progress and final results. It was a long 12-hour day, but I’m relieved to have it behind me for the year. We achieved a 0.7% accuracy rate, which is excellent from a numbers standpoint, though we identified several areas for improvement. Most of these stemmed from human or system errors. Unfortunately, my workplace isn’t the most technologically advanced, and system performance issues are a frequent challenge. For instance, the Friday before inventory, one of our critical daily reporting systems went down again—a recurring issue that has been happening once or twice a week. The downtime delayed key tasks, forcing us to push them to the following day. As a member of the leadership team, dealing with hurdles like these is part of my daily routine. I need to think quickly, stay calm under pressure, and find the most efficient solutions to keep things on track, even when obstacles arise unexpectedly

    With the end-of-year inventory now behind me, I’m shifting my focus back to advancing my web development skills and making my career transition a reality. My birthday is in January, and as I turn 35, the best gift I could give myself is finally landing a job in tech—a milestone I’ve been diligently working toward. I’m still actively applying for positions, but so far, the responses have been limited to generic rejection emails. In the meantime, I’ve been working on completing the Responsive Web Design Certification through freeCodeCamp. I initially started this course a few years ago, alongside the JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures Certification. However, I took a break when I realized I was completing the work without fully grasping the concepts. After spending the past few months coding and building projects, I now have a stronger understanding of the fundamentals. This has allowed me to confidently tackle the projects required to earn the certifications. I’m about 65% through the Web Design course and plan to finish it before returning to complete the JavaScript course. Step by step, I’m getting closer to achieving my goal.

   I’ve been really enjoying the projects I’ve been working on lately. My favorite so far was creating a city skyline using just CSS and HTML. On larger screens, the skyline appears during the daytime, complete with a sun in the sky and colorful skyscrapers. On smaller screens, it transitions to a nighttime scene with a moon, and the buildings are silhouetted in black. I used flexbox to create the windows on the skyscrapers, and the whole experience really sparked my interest in using CSS to create art. This project has inspired me to start building an art portfolio focused on CSS-based designs. I plan to create more projects like this and showcase them on a dedicated webpage, which I’ll add to my main portfolio. Along with the skyline, I want to include a moving Ferris wheel project I worked on. Right now, the Ferris wheel is pretty basic, made of thin lines and simple squares for the baskets. I’m planning to refine it by adding a detailed background and making the Ferris wheel look more realistic. These projects have been a fun way to blend creativity with coding, and I’m excited to see where they take me. 

    I’m also hoping that this CSS art portfolio will help me stand out as a job candidate. It’s a unique way to showcase my creativity and technical skills while demonstrating my ability to think outside the box. By including projects like the city skyline and the Ferris wheel, I aim to show not only my proficiency in CSS but also my passion for creating visually engaging and innovative designs. I believe this approach will make my portfolio more memorable to potential employers and help set me apart in a competitive job market.