4
basicappleguy.com launched four years ago, on April 21, 2020.
Today marks the fourth anniversary of basicappleguy.com
First, I want to extend my sincere thanks to all the readers of this blog, those who interact with me online, and those who use these wallpapers. The verve to put in the effort I do into this site is fuelled in part by knowing there are many people you get a lot of joy and appreciation for what I've been able to produce over the years. Steve Jobs, over a decade ago, said it best:
"There's lots of ways to be, as a person. And some people express their deep appreciation in different ways. But one of the ways that I believe people express their appreciation to the rest of humanity is to make something wonderful and put it out there.
And you never meet the people. You never shake their hands. You never hear their story or tell yours. But somehow, in the act of making something with a great deal of care and love, something's transmitted there. And it's a way of expressing to the rest of our species our deep appreciation. So we need to be true to who we are and remember what's really important to us." - Steve Jobs, 2007
Knowing that a few of you take the time to read my posts and delight when I rlease a new design helps make this process worthwhile. And while I revere the work I do with patients in my current healthcare, there is no hesitation that these creative pursuits are where the best expression of my passion currently lies.
Since my last anniversary post, I have published 42 posts on my main blog and 40 on a new microblog I launched in late April called The Haberdashery (wicked name, right?!). Across both blogs, some crowd favourites have included my macOS Rancho Cucamonga series (Day | Night), the macOS Tiger Redux wallpapers, the iPhone 15 Pro Schematics, a number of my gradient wallpapers (CleanMyMac, Titanium, Autumn Leaves, Aurora, and Autumn Gradients), and my Ugly Christmas Sweater designs (Mac | iPhone).
The Haberdashery's release in late April enabled me to create smaller posts and wallpaper releases without cluttering my main blog. I post little icon projects here, archive new Apple Store opening wallpapers, release new wallpaper colours, and share one-off designs. This little microblog came about because I wanted to find ways of posting more content under increasingly restricted time constraints and find a quick and more sustainable way of sharing content than relying on services like Google Drive, which has capped downloads in the past.
Perhaps the most troubling event over the past year was my creative slump in late 2023. For about 4-5 months, I not only had a few ideas, but I had no desire to work on any I did. The site became a chore and something I developed a growing dislike for. Typically, periods of creativity buffer work stress, but things became so distressing at work, personally, and with the family that I broke & burnt out, and it snuffed out my desire to do much of anything.
It was a great relief that I finally felt my creative mojo return in March! I released Glassy, released a collection of gradient wallpapers in partnership with Clear, designed a swanky new Commander lineup of merch, and have a few new wallpapers in the works. Most importantly, I actually like working on this site & being Basic Apple Guy again, something I couldn't say just a few months back.
Support
The intention is to keep this site entirely ad-free and to keep the wallpapers I produce free of charge. However, tips are always welcome. They keep the lights on by easing the cost of running this account. So whether you buy a piece of merch or toss me a couple of bucks through BuyMeACoffee, the support is felt and very much appreciated.
