About

Hi there, I’m Derrik! I’m a 40-year-old guy (he/him) living in Hengelo, the Netherlands, with my wife Laura, our three kids, two dogs, a bunch of fish, and a ton of houseplants. Welcome to my blog and digital garden. It’s still a bit quiet here for now, but that’s all set to change over the coming year!

Work & education

I’m a front-end developer with over a decade of experience, starting in 2012. Before that, I studied Applied Art & Technology at Saxion University, which gave me a solid foundation in media and design. My work focuses on creating user-friendly websites that balance functionality with user centered design, often using WordPress as my platform of choice. I also occasionally develop React Native apps.

I’m an advocate for The Boring Stack and keeping things straightforward—new technologies can be exciting, but do we really need all the added bulk and complexity?

Interests & hobbies

• Dungeons and Dragons
  I’ve been playing Dungeons & Dragons every Monday for more than a year now, and it has been an incredible journey. We’re currently running the Waterdeep: Dragon Heist campaign and are getting close to the end. For those interested, my character is a level five Mountain Dwarf Barbarian named Darragh, and he can be found on D&D Beyond.
• Houseplants
  As mentioned above, our little house is filled to the brim with houseplants. Over the last few years, it has become somewhat of an obsession, actually. I’m currently cataloging them, and we have around 125+ plants at the moment. Right now, I’m on the hunt for a Philodendron ‘Red Anderson’. The Philodendron genus is my favorite!
• Gardening
  Currently, our garden is just an empty plot. It used to be a vegetable garden, but now I plan to transform it into a small wildlife sanctuary. I envision it filled with native plants, a small pond, and a cozy little sitting nook where we can relax. It seems like this is shaping up to be an exciting and ambitious project for next spring.
• Nature
  I deeply appreciate nature and try to spend as much time outdoors as possible, though it can be challenging with an eight-hour desk job. When I do get outside, I make the most of it by watching birds, identifying plants, and marveling at the changing seasons. Nature is how I recharge and stay connected to the world.
• Music
  I used to be one of those people who religiously checked Pitchfork Media for the next big band, going to shows almost every week—thanks to free student public transport making it affordable. While life has changed since then, I still love discovering and listening to music, with a pretty eclectic taste that spans genres from jazz to metal and everything in between.

Get in touch

You can send me and email at me@derrik.lol or shoot me a DM on Mastodon.