In my life I have done an untold amount of research and study on a large variety of things. I have investigated a ton of ideas, processes, products and services. A friend recently asked me why don’t I share this vast vault of knowledge?
That’s a great idea. So here are some of the reliable, tried and true resources that I have been lucky enough to find along the way.
Web
Hosting
Bluehost
I have used Bluehost since 2005. Rock solid, 99.99% uptime and full Cpanel access which is super important for quickly managing your server environment while avoiding 30+ minute support calls for simple tasks.
I 100% suggest you use them if you need web hosting or domain registration. Do yourself a future proofing favor and get a great web host that has options and actual support. Sorry, Godaddy – you just don’t cut it.
→ Try Bluehost!
WordPress
Studiopress + Genesis Framework
I have developed on WordPress for over a decade and though we’ve had our ups and downs (I abandoned it for years for Drupal) but I still consider it a pretty good CMS. Many years ago I fould a company called Studiopress who made a WordPress “Framework” called Genesis. It is unbelievably amazing, intuative, and feature rich – I have since built every WordPress project with it as my parent theme.
Unlimited sites, unlimited updates – a ready to go, fully responsive framework out of the box. What more could you ask for? Studiopress was recently aquired by Austins’ very own WP Engine, so we can look forward to some very stable support and rock optimized performance.
→ Try the Genesis Framework!
Codepen
Codepen is a web-based social development environment. At its heart, it allows you to write code in the browser, and see the results of it as you build. A useful and liberating tool for developers of any skill, and particularly empowering for people learning to code. We focus primarily on front-end languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and preprocessing syntaxes that turn into those things.
I have paid for Pro account for many years and have seen it come a huge way since its inception. Write HTML, CSS, and Javascript in your browser and see the results instantly. Access to CSS pre/post processors and the most popular Javascript frameworks (our your own) in seconds. Fork your, or others pens, work collaboratively and speed your overall development time. Enjoy the social community, explore pens and display your portfolio online. It is literally a front-end web design/developers dream!
→ Try Codepen!
Fine Art
I have made art for a long time. Every artist learns that you always have to consider the cost and quality of your materials – it’s essential to a balanced, sustainable artistic career. Never work for free – always value yourself, your artwork, and your time. These are my prime picks for a balance of both quality and cost-effectiveness…
Printing Services
Online
Preffered Suppliers
Local
- Jerrys Artarama (if in a crunch)