Let’s start from the basics: Can you introduce yourself?

Hi! I’m Pauline Narvas, online known sometimes as “Pawlean”. Over the past two years or so, I’ve lived a semi-nomadic life travelling with my 40L backpack around the world 90 days at a time. Home will always be the UK for me, with “home-home” i.e. my roots being the Philippines. I also have a soft spot for Greece. It’s been quite a journey experiencing so many different cultures, connecting with some incredible people and generally, living such a full, exciting life on the road. I’ve slowed down in the last year or so, but still try to chase the sunwhenever I can.

Back in the day, I studied Biomedical Sciences at the University of Sheffield. But I’d always been so curious about technology, writing my first line of code at a young age and kinda followed my heart into the tech industry after I graduated. After various iterations in my career, I’ve now landed in what I would call a “dream” role or at the very least “a calling” which is community building. I’ve worked in Community now for the last three years and prior to this, I was a Software Engineer who accidentally dipped my feet into DevOps and Platform Engineering and did that for a bit. You could say that I’ve seen a little bit of everything. 😆

Outside of my career and travelling, I’m an “OG” blogger, writing on the internet since around 2008. I also love the possibilities that come from social media, after seeing it for myself from being a very early user of Twitter. Offline, I enjoy weight lifting, yoga, hiking and boxing which is the secret sauce to keeping myself sane in today’s world.

What’s the story behind your blog?

My blog is a reflection of my journey into tech, which began with a dream to create an MMO game like RuneScape. As I delved into web development, teaching myself HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and eventually PHP and WordPress theme development, my focus shifted. I started my blog to share ideas for my game but soon found joy in documenting my thoughts and experiences.

Over the years, my blog evolved into a space where I chronicle various chapters of my life. Along the way, I connected with a community of bloggers in the “blogosphere” who motivated me to keep writing. This journey intertwined well with my tech exploration as I shared my learning process and projects, which naturally led to a broader readership and deeper involvement in the tech sphere.

What does your creative process look like when it comes to blogging?

My creative process for blogging is deeply rooted in real-life experiences!

I find inspiration in everyday moments, exploring the world around me, and engaging with others. I try not to force my writing; instead, I let inspiration come from these experiences.

Back in 2020, I challenged myself to write weekly during the pandemic. And I did. Sometimes even twice a week, because what else was there to do? 🤷

This discipline grew from a desire to almost “process” daily life, especially during university years filled with exciting tech events, hackathons, meetups and other opportunities. I shared my journey into tech and beyond, documenting each step not just for myself but to show others what's possible, especially for someone who looks like me.

This practice of reflection carried into my travels, where my writing evolved from recounting events to exploring personal growth and connections. You can see this “change” in the last two years of posts.

Ultimately, my blog serves as the public journal of Pauline Narvas 😁 that captures my perspective of life and the insights I get along the way.

Do you have an ideal creative environment? Do you believe the physical space influences your creativity?

I don't have an ideal creative environment because most inspiration strikes at unexpected moments. I find myself jotting down thoughts in my phone's Notes app while walking or even during exercise. Lifting weights actually is where I get most sparks of random ideas ideas! I am that weirdo recording voice memos for myself to use later on. 🤣

I know for sure, I often feel most inspired away from my laptop.

A question for the techie readers: Can you run us through your tech stack?

My blog operates on a headless setup with WordPress on the back end, hosted on an EC2 instance on Amazon. The front end is built with Next.js and hosted on Vercel. This separation allows me to develop the front end separately so it runs in faster and generally a smoother user experience.

In the early days, I used static HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, manually creating separate files for each blog post, but this became unmanageable as you can imagine 🤣

Given your experience, if you were to start a blog today, would you do anything differently?

I wouldn’t do anything differently if I were to start a blog today.

The challenges I faced, like setting up a WordPress database and losing my work or dealing with broken themes in production helped me troubleshoot, adapt, and ultimately become a better developer.

From a writing perspective, I’d also stick to writing authentic, personal content because that connection is more important than ever in today’s AI-driven world.

Financial question: How much does it cost to run your blog? Is it just a cost, or does it generate revenue?

My blog costs about £100 a year to run, covering expenses like AWS hosting, domains, SSL certificates, and Vercel front-end hosting.

While it doesn’t generate significant direct revenue, I’ve done occasional sponsored posts and use affiliate links, which I always disclose transparently. That said, I would argue my blog is a huge asset—it’s been instrumental in building my career and continues to open opportunities for me. In that sense, mu blog generates value far beyond traditional revenue streams.

Time for some recommendations: Any blog you think is worth checking out? And who do you think I should interview next?

Have you spoken to Anne-Laure Le Cunff from Ness Labs? Her posts on mindful productivity is a must-have here.

Final question: Is there anything you want to share with us?

I’d love for you to check out my favorite words I’ve ever written on my blog. You can also find me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn if you’d like to connect.

I’m always excited to meet new people and have virtual coffee chats, so feel free to reach out! 😁 See you online!