I joined Codepen last October right before Halloween, and it changed my (developer) life.

Codepen is a website that allows you to write little projects called “pens” using HTML, CSS and Javascript directly in your browser. There’s also the option to use a variety of popular preprocessors directly and include popular libraries like jQuery and GSAP.

In an ever-changing front-end landscape, keeping current is important. Codepen makes it easy experiment with new ideas, present them to the community, get feedback, and even collaborate with others. Interesting or excellent pens get featured on the main page. My first pen to get chosen was not much in my humble opinion, but the “I Am Developer” feeling I got from being selected was incredible. Since then, I’ve had quite a few pens featured, but writing pens is only half the benefit. Being able to see what other developers are coding, how they code it, and the result is invaluable.

Codepen is free to use, but for an annual fee there is a “pro” option which allows members to save assets on-site as well as work on pens privately. This article explains the merits of being on Codepen further. Above all, this site is a convenient tool. If you get an idea and want to jot down code on the run from your phone or tablet, Codepen’s there to help you.

You can link to my Codepen account below or click here.