I Built This Website With Shaky Hands (and a Very Determined Caterpillar Mindset)

Jamaine Pearce
Sep 2
3 min read

Estimated read time: 5–6 minutes

A few days ago I knew absolutely nothing about websites. Buttons? Forms? Automations? Sounded like sci-fi. I wanted to cry (and honestly, I did). I wanted to quit (also did, several times). And yet… here we are. I’m learning. I’m coding. I’m proud.

For a long time I was told I was stupid. That I couldn’t do “tech”. That I should leave the grown-up stuff to someone else and I believed it. If you’ve ever been told a story like that, I want you to know: it wasn’t the truth. The truth is that we are all rising caterpillars—and caterpillars are built for becoming. Don't let people put you down and convince you other wise.

This site isn’t perfect, but it’s mine. And it’s getting better every day.

What building this site actually felt like

Opening Wix and thinking, why are there 400 buttons and none of them say “magic”?
Breaking something, fixing it, breaking it again, fixing it again.
Drinking copious amounts of coffee, taking deep breaths, and saying out loud, “okay brain, one tiny step, you can do this Jamaine. One step at a time.”
That electric flutter when a form finally worked and an email arrived right where it should.
Sitting back and whispering, look at you, doing hard things.

If you’re in the middle of learning something new—and your nervous system is convinced it’s unsafe—I see you. It’s not unsafe; it’s unfamiliar. There’s a difference and you can get through it and achieve your goals, no matter how hard they feel.

7 tiny strategies that kept this caterpillar moving

Beginner brain, beginner pace. I let myself be new. No apologising for not knowing. No rushing to “expert”.
10-minute blocks. I set a timer. When it dinged, I stood up, breathed, and decided the one tiny next step.
Choose one tool at a time. Forms or emails or blogs—not all three. Multitasking = molasses.
Name everything clearly.(Tech tip: call the form “FORM — Subscribers Freebies”. Your future self will send you flowers.)
Ask for help without shame. Because brave doesn’t mean alone.
Celebrate micro-wins. The first linked button. The first subscriber. The first “looks right on mobile.” I wrote them down.
Compassion over perfection. Messy first drafts are how we grow wings.

🐛 Caterpillar Check-In What’s one tiny step you can do in under 10 minutes—today? Put it in your calendar like it matters (because it does).

What’s Hatching Next

I’m learning in public and feeling my way forward. No big promises or dates—just gentle momentum. On my whiteboard right now:

Simple, ADHD-friendly tools — tiny checklists, templates, and prompts that make life feel lighter.
Short emails for the Caterpillar Crew — pep talks, gentle strategies, and a reminder you’re not behind, you’re becoming.
Mini workshops (maybe!) — bite-sized sessions on planning with low energy, building routines, and kinder self-talk.
Courses & programmes (sketches only) — step-by-step support for moving from survival to steadier days.
Blog series ideas — doing tech with a tender brain; boundaries for former people-pleasers; how to choose “tiny next steps.”

If any of that makes your shoulders drop two inches, you’re my people. I’ll build slowly, listen closely, and keep it human.

A note to the version of me who felt stupid

You weren’t stupid. You were unpractised. You were healing and now you’re learning—on your own timeline, in your own way—and I’m wildly proud of you.

If someone else needs to hear this: your worth isn’t measured by how quickly you learn, but by your willingness to begin again.

Want the freebies + first dibs?

I made a little welcome bundle for the Caterpillar Crew:

7 Steps to Transformation guide
Weekly Check-In printable
A tiny Steps Poster to keep you inspired

👉 Click the Subscribe button on the site and I’ll send it straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe anytime—no hard feelings.

With love (and a few newly-earned tech skills),

Jamaine 🦋