Building Something That Reflects Who I Am

Why I’m Building Groundworx (And Why It Matters)

I have spent years investing into my jobs, investing into others, thinking it would pay back in folds, because I was kind and because I cared.
I built so many awesome projects. I solved a lot of fun challenges.
But in the end, I was losing my focus, my power.
Because the day I lost my job, I had nothing to show but a frontend website. No code. No foundation I could carry forward.

Remembering where I came from

I remember my skinning days, when I was doing something I was passionate about.
I designed WindowBlinds skins, icons for IconPackager, skins for JRiver MediaPlayer, Windows Media Player, and Winamp.
We did it for fun. We did it for the community. It felt good to share.

I was known as Alexandrie, and I built a company with my friend Treetog called Pixtudio.
We ended up working on projects for Nintendo of Europe, Zippo, PC Magazine of Europe, Nickelodeon, HP, Dell, and more.

I had a dream, a purpose

It happened because we were driven by vision and care, not business plans.
And even after shifting careers, I realized I still missed that part of myself.
I missed solving problems for others and doing work that felt personal.

That’s when I looked at WordPress again. It has a community. It has people who need better tools.

So this year, I decided to not only put myself first, but to put the community first too

I want to build something that lasts.
Something I can share freely, update openly, and use proudly.
I want to build tools that help others while also supporting my own future.
Not just something that benefits a company I work for, but something I can point to and say: I made that.

Groundworx is my answer. I named it that because this time, I am grounded, and this is my work.
It’s a reminder to stay true to myself while building something real, something with purpose.

WordPress Is Great, But Not Ready

WordPress is changing. Gutenberg is here, and I believe in its direction. But right now, it is incomplete. It is still hard for developers and agencies to build with confidence.

Fresh installs feel limited.
You can’t customize navigation easily.
There’s no solid way to build a carousel or other interactive components without reaching for plugins that were made before blocks became the standard.

Many of these tools don’t support theme.json the way modern themes require.
Some rely on outdated workflows. Some add unnecessary complexity.
And most of them do not feel like they were made with today’s WordPress in mind.

Gutenberg has potential. But people need better starting points.
They need a cleaner foundation to build on.
Something that feels native and makes sense.

My New Found Purpose and What I’m Working On

I’m building a theme and plugins that focus on solving those pain points.
Block-based. Modular. Flexible.
Made to work with how WordPress works today, not how it used to.

I’m not just doing this for the sake of creating something.
I want this project to grow. I want it to support me financially.
But I also want it to do so without compromising the experience for others.

I’m building Groundworx for those who care about what they put into the world.
And for those who feel like the current tools don’t reflect how they work or who they are.

This is my way forward. And maybe it can be yours too. Don’t let your dreams go by, and make them happen.