So, it’s been some time since I made the move from Bearblogs to my own domain here. I still appreciate Bearblogs for what it is – minimal and straightforward. I’ll probably use it for some small write-ups going forward.
But today, I want to share the real reasons behind this transition and what I’ve learned from building my own digital space. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t always smooth sailing!😅
Why I Outgrew Bearblogs 🤔
The Search Dilemma 🔍
When I wrote a couple of blogs and started feeling like I wanted to share more, it got me thinking: if I wanted to quickly search through any of my previous posts, what would I do? Picture me frantically scrolling through my own content like I’m hunting for a lost memory. Maybe the solution was to buy premium, but why pay again when I’m already paying for hosting here?
The Communication Overhead 📧
This one really got to me. I was dropping my email ID in blog posts for people to reach out, but here’s the problem: I don’t often open my emails. Plus, it didn’t feel minimal anymore – one app to write blogs and another app to communicate with the audience felt like an overhead. I found myself checking two different places just to stay connected with my readers, and honestly, it was exhausting. I wanted to follow up with my audience right there where I write. When someone comments on a post, I know the context and what they’re referring to. Much cleaner that way, and way less mental juggling! 🤹♂️
SEO and Discoverability Limitations 🚪
Pay premium for indexing on search engines or go through a manual review process? This felt like having my hands tied behind my back. Initially, I didn’t want to be public, which is why I chose Bearblogs. But once I realised I wanted to go public and share my thoughts with the world, it didn’t feel like the right platform for my evolving needs.
Creative Freedom 🎨
I wanted the flexibility and freedom to post anything I want, experiment with features, and truly make this space mine. I understand that setting up this site initially was a hassle, but once it’s done, it becomes easy to maintain and customise. No more “sorry, that feature isn’t available” moments!
The Migration Reality 📦
Did I migrate all my blogs? Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. Including the homepage content.
How did I migrate? No fancy tools – just good old copy-paste from there to here. It was straightforward because I didn’t have that many posts. I even researched online to see if there was any way to automate this, spending way too much time looking for the perfect solution that, turns out, doesn’t exist. Sometimes the simplest approach is the most reliable one. 🤷♂️
The Setup Journey (And The Great Crash) 🛠️💥
It took me about a week or two to set this blog up. Here’s where things got interesting – I got a little too excited with plugins and themes, like a kid in a candy store. I was clicking “install” on everything that looked remotely cool, switching themes faster than I change my mind about what to have for dinner.
And then… crash! 💻
Everything went down. I stared at error messages that might as well have been written in ancient hieroglyphs. For a moment, I genuinely wondered if I’d made a huge mistake leaving the simplicity of Bearblogs behind.
But you know what? That crash taught me valuable lessons about what I actually needed versus what looked shiny and appealing. It forced me to step back, breathe, and rebuild with purpose instead of excitement.
Now it’s clean, stable, and functional. For the next few days or months, I won’t be thinking about making any front-end changes – it’s time to focus on content, not more digital decorations! 🎯
What This Means Moving Forward 🚀
Just because I felt these were limitations doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate Bearblogs. It’s an excellent platform that served me well during a specific phase of my journey. It’s just that currently, for my needs and goals, it wasn’t the right fit anymore.
This space will be my main hub where I post everything going forward. No more platform constraints, no more wondering about features I wish I had. This is where real conversations happen, where ideas get explored thoroughly, and where we can build something meaningful together.
Sometimes I catch myself still thinking in “Bearblogs mode” – keeping things ultra-minimal. But then I remember: this is my space now. I can add that extra emoji, include that comment section, or write that longer piece without worrying about platform limitations. 😊
Lessons Learned 💡
Timing Matters: Sometimes you outgrow tools that once served you perfectly. That’s not a failure – it’s growth, and it’s perfectly okay to feel a little nostalgic about it.
Ownership Has Value: Having control over your digital space provides freedom that platforms can’t match, even if it comes with more responsibility.
Simple Solutions Work: Copy-paste migration might not be glamorous, but it gets the job done without fancy complications.
Crashes Teach: That one spectacular crash taught me more about what I actually needed than hours of research. Sometimes failure is the best teacher. 📚
Excitement Needs Balance: Being enthusiastic about new possibilities is great, but a little restraint saves you from rebuilding everything from scratch!
This journey reinforced something important: clarity about your needs and willingness to take action creates the foundation for meaningful progress. Plus, it’s okay to admit when something isn’t working anymore – that’s just being honest with yourself.
Until we meet again, Keep It Raw, Keep It Real! 😎✌️🔥
🤖 This blog was written with the help of AI. The ideas and thoughts are mine, but the writing was assisted.
