From Rusty to Ready: Rediscovering the Joy of Building Sites

I recently agreed to recreate a site I had designed over seven years ago. The system I used back then is now obsolete, and I wanted to modernize the site using the Site Editor and a simple block theme — building it all with blocks and patterns, almost like Lego!

My site-building skills were a bit rusty, and I struggled at first to figure out where to go and what to do with the old content. But slowly, I started finding my groove, and things began to fall into place naturally. It reminded me of biking — once you learn, you never really forget.

The site isn’t quite ready yet, but I’m already so pleased with the results and possibilities. The Site Editor just makes sense, and updating a site has become a much easier task. Even better, my ex-client can now make changes and add elements without needing to know a single line of HTML or CSS.

This very site you’re reading was my first project since I joined Automattic. My friend’s site is the second. Flexing these muscles again has made me a better Happiness Engineer — more empathetic, and full of compassion for beginners creating their very first website.

And for those just starting out, we now offer a powerful, time-saving tool: AI. In just seconds or minutes, you can have a beautifully designed, professional-looking site based on a few simple prompts. If you’re curious to try it, head to https://wordpress.com/ai-website-builder/ and have fun. I promise — it’s worth exploring.