General Musings with Kevin Powell

This week I talk about the transition from enjoying coding for fun to facing the challenges and grind of doing it as a job. It's hard to find that balance between finding meaning in your job, and how you can loose your passion when it turns into a career.

In this episode I share some insights from a recent workshop with Smashing, discussing the adoption and support of CSS features like 'has', 'subgrid', and 'container queries', and how I was surprised by the awareness and usage of some features. Container Queries Talk CSS Wrapped 2025

In this episode I dive into the world of modern CSS. I start with a bit on the masonry to grid lanes change, discuss the new range syntax for style queries, and share my thoughts on the evolving landscape of CSS. 🔗 Links My video about the switch to display: grid-lanes: https://youtu.be/yikbSQ6tvlE The article on the range syntax coming to container queries and if(): https://css-tricks.com/the-range-syntax-has-come-to-container-style-queries-and-if/ Chris’ blog post on random(): https://frontendmasters.com/blog/more-css-random-learning-through-experiments/

In this episode I dive into why I think it’s best to simplify Grid as much as possible, but how that can be a bit at odds with some of the ways I use it, as well as the inherit complexities that subgrid adds to the mix. 🔗 Links The New CSS Toolkit: https://smashingconf.com/online-workshops/workshops/css-toolkit-kevin-powell/ The named grid lines to replace containers/wrappers: https://youtu.be/c13gpBrnGEw CSS Demystified: https://cssdemystified.com/ Stripe’s developer site: https://stripe.dev/

In this episode, I reflect on the journey of learning and progress, drawing parallels between my experiences in bouldering, chess, and front-end development. My Discord Community: https://css.community The New CSS Toolkit Workshop: https://smashingconf.com/online-workshops/workshops/css-toolkit-kevin-powell/

In this episode, I sit down with Adam Argyle to discuss the ups and downs of navigating the modern job market. From the challenges of getting noticed to the creative ways Adam has showcased his skills, we delve into the realities of job hunting today. Adam’s resume His Sizzle Rizzle that helped him get noticed Follow Adam: Nerdy.dev Bluesky Mastodon GitHub

In this episode I chat with Henri Helvetica, a performance engineer and active member of the web community. We dive into the significance of conferences and meetups, and how COVID-19 has affected in-person events. Henri offers insights on event organizing, the need for new in-person experiences, and what makes a good event. We also explore the value of community and networking, and how to find events and meetups in today's landscape. Give Henri a follow!   - Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/henrihelvetica.bsky.social - Linkedin: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/henri-helvetica - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/henrihelvetica - X: https://x.com/henrihelvetica

✅ Follow Sara: https://front-end.social/@sarajw | https://bsky.app/profile/sjoy.lol ✅ Sara's site: https://sarajoy.dev/ ✅ Whimsica11y: https://whimsica11y.net/ ✅ Sara’s CSS Joy web ring: https://cs.sjoy.lol/ ✅ NeoCities: https://neocities.org/ ✅ Yesterweb: https://yesterweb.org/ ✅ Mellonland: https://forum.melonland.net/ ✅ 32-bit Cafe: https://32bit.cafe/ In this episode, I sit down with Sara Joy to explore her passion for CSS and the critical role of accessibility in web development. We dive into her journey from a hobbyist to a professional, discussing the latest CSS trends and the challenges of making the web accessible for everyone. Join us for an insightful conversation that blends creativity with functionality!

✅ The Admin Bar: https://theadminbar.com/ In this episode, I sit down with Kyle of The Admin Bar to talk about the evolution of WordPress. We dive into how WordPress has maintained its staying power over the years, and Kyle shares insights on the challenges and opportunities within the WordPress ecosystem, including the impact of page builders. We also touch on the importance of community and collaboration.

Roma's article: https://blog.kizu.dev/dashed-idents-for-everything/

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Sara Soueidan, a renowned expert in web accessibility. Our conversation was a deep dive into the nuances of making the web more inclusive and accessible for everyone. Follow Sara: Her course, Practical Accessibility: https://practical-accessibility.today/ Her newsletter: https://www.sarasoueidan.com/newsletter/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/sarasoueidan.com Mastodon: https://front-end.social/@SaraSoueidan Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarasoueidan/ X: https://x.com/SaraSoueidan Things we mentioned during our conversations: Making the web sweeter with Food Network and Cupcakes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2l56RmQAQE Blockquotes in screen readers https://adrianroselli.com/2023/07/blockquotes-in-screen-readers.html The Blockquote element https://heydonworks.com/article/the-blockquote-element/ The HTML Living Standard https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/grouping-content.html WCAG Quick Reference (contains links to Understanding and Techniques docs) https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/quickref/ HTML AAM https://www.w3.org/TR/html-aam-1.0/ ARIA 1.3 https://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-1.3/ My course :D https://practical-accessibility.today My newsletter https://sarasoueidan.com/newsletter/

Starting with a dive into an article about the light-dark() function and theming in CSS, I ramble my way through topics of browser support of new features, browsers fixing issues with existing features, and some talk about the spec and how we can all help out in improving the current state of things. ✅ Should the CSS light-dark() function support more than light and dark values: https://css-tricks.com/should-the-css-light-dark-function-support-more-than-light-and-dark-values/ ✅ The game I mentioned: https://css-questions.com ✅ Frontend Masters workshop: https://frontendmasters.com/teachers/kevin-powell/?utm_source=powell&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=pro-css&code=powell (affiliate link) ✅ The New CSS Toolkit - Online workshop with Smashing Conference: https://smashingconf.com/online-workshops/workshops/css-toolkit-kevin-powell/ ✅ Smashing Conf Amsterdam (and in person workshop): https://smashingconf.com/amsterdam-2026 ✅ Interop Proposers Guide: https://github.com/web-platform-tests/interop/blob/main/proposal_guide.md

This one has nothing to do with front-end! Rather, I ramble a lot about how I might be doing too much, and spend quite a bit of time talking about what I wanted to do, and what I might be doing with my HTML & CSS Tip of the Week. 🔗 Links ✅ HTML & CSS Tip of the Week: https://html-css-tip-of-the-week.netlify.app/ ✅ DevTools for Beginners: https://devtoolsforbeginners.kevinpowell.co/ ✅ CSS Demystified: https://cssdemystified.com/

Why is CSS so weird? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHUtMbJw8iA HTML & CSS Tip of the Week: https://html-css-tip-of-the-week.netlify.app/ The Ben Schwarz post on Bluesky I mentioned: https://bsky.app/profile/benschwarz.bsky.social/post/3lulxryudjs2t   My primary YouTube channel where I teach frontend development, with a strong focus on CSS: https://youtube.com/@kevinpowell   ✉ The written version of my newsletter: https://www.kevinpowell.co/newsletter 💬 Come hang out with other dev's in my Discord Community: https://discord.gg/nTYCvrK   Help support my channel  👨‍🎓 Get a course: https://www.kevinpowell.co/courses 💖 Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kevinpowell

Been having a hard time getting anything done the last few weeks, and as I pull out of it, I talk about some of the issues around productivity culture in general, and how sometimes it seems like we are less productive than we might have realized. 

The livestream I mentioned: https://youtube.com/live/r7m3Ka2LmPM State of CSS Survey: https://survey.devographics.com/en-US/survey/state-of-css/2025?source=kevin_powell The gap decoration demos by Edge: https://microsoftedge.github.io/Demos/css-gap-decorations/ In this episode I discuss CSS features I wish existed, like custom media queries, gap in block elements, and the color contrast function.

The articles I read in this episode: The promise that wasn’t kept & Ensloppification In this episode, I read through 'The Promise that wasn't Kept' by Salma Alam-Naylor and 'Ensloppification' by David Bushell, and give my thoughts on what they're writing, examining the hype, flaws, and environmental concerns surrounding AI tools in the software industry and discuss the need for a more responsible, human-centered approach to integrating AI into our workflows.

Today I'm tackling a topic that's been on my mind: the perception that Flexbox is easier than Grid. I share my frustrations and insights while revamping my CSS Demystified course.

My upcoming in-person workshop: https://smashingconf.com/workshops/workshops/ny/kevin-j-powell-css/ My courses can all be found here: https://kevinpowell.co/courses In this episode of General Musings, I dive deep into learning and teaching frontend development. I share my personal experiences, why teaching is the best way to learn, and the importance of addressing roadblocks in learning. I also get into the cognitive overload beginners face and my evolving approach to teaching complex subjects. Plus, I'll touch on why beginners should teach and why it's essential to explain things in a way that makes sense to them. 

Welcome to this week's episode of General Musings, where I talk about how, when I'm struggling to do something, I try to find the easiest path to getting started. It can be hard just diving in, and if something is hard, even if you start, you might not want to continue!