Turning My Passions Into Pixels: Building My Website My Way

Building my website has been more than just a business task. It’s been a way to bring together all the different pieces of my work and life into one cohesive space. Between Tristan Bills Real Estate, my transaction management company Monster Dynamics, my insurance brokerage The Endeavor Agency, and the creative side of me that loves graphic design, photography, cooking, and writing, I wanted a place that could both showcase everything and let each branch stand on its own.

One of my favorite touches is the faded gradient background on my landing page. It might be subtle to most people, but for me, it’s a deeply personal collage of moments, passions, and everyday joys. I began with rough sketches, drawn by hand, of things that mean the most to me: my son, for sale signs, steaming mugs of coffee, radios tuned to KXRK’s X96, and other small icons of my world. These drawings weren’t polished or perfect, but they carried the feeling I wanted.

From there, I scanned the sketches into my computer and began working in Adobe Illustrator, a program I’m still learning. I refined the shapes, adjusted lines, and gave each element a cleaner form while keeping their original character. Once finished, I wove them together into a single image, set it against a gradient background, and reduced its opacity so it gently fades into the page.

It’s not the boldest feature of my website, but it’s the one that makes me happiest. It’s a reminder that even in professional projects, the little personal touches matter. They’re what make the work feel alive, authentic, and uniquely mine. This site isn’t just a portfolio or a hub for my businesses—it’s an extension of who I am.

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