Change Is Good...Right?

June ushers in summer with an abundance of memories: family weddings, high school and college graduations, anticipated or completed excursions to favorite destinations, or maybe travel to new ones. This year, for me in 2026, this month is also about making changes – a new look for my website and a new direction for my writing.

First, the website. Since January, I’ve been working to update the existing site to better represent my brand. From the Write Side has been my baby for decades. What began as a column in the Ohio Foreign Language Association newsletter grew to encompass several other venues and landed on the Internet as my signature take on this writing life. 

In the beginning, it was easy to add new information and pop in a photo or two. But as the years passed, every system became more complex. I found myself floundering with the various programs. I’m still not sure what a layer slider is! Beyond that, I have no inclination to master the technical aspects of page creation. More importantly, the demands of my craft pull me away from the tech required to keep things updated.

Frustrated with the problems created by my ineptness, I decided it was time for a change. With the help of Frances Cicogna and Guru Market Me, I shared my vision for a new look, one that would more clearly represent who I am, what I’ve written, and where I’m going next. Out with pastel backgrounds! In with a new logo and vibrant colors!

It isn’t easy to take these leaps into the new. Old patterns are hard to abandon. The familiar may not work so well, but it is comfortable and reassuring. Until it isn’t.  The same applies to our writing. We can fall into complacency, resist seeing a story or poem through a different lens, even censor the direction of our creative energy. But such resistance can be harmful to our personal and professional growth. 

I do not want to live a static life. I do not want to write to a formula. So, this summer, I’m going to shop my historical fiction novel around and see what happens. I’m going to stretch the parameters of my poetic output. I’m going to give those short stories in my head a chance to fill the pages and hope they find homes. 

Change can be startling. It can also be the best thing that ever happens to us. Thus, I now present to you the 2026 version of janetirvin.com, a new look with a new provider and a new direction for my writing. I hope you like it! Drop me a line and let me know your thoughts.