I have been doing this hobby since early 2017. It has been a wonderful experience. Recently I was asked, “I sometimes wonder why are we stuck in this keeb hobby? Is it because of the sense of accomplishment, artistic style, or layout? Community?” – ProtiuesKeebs.
It got me thinking… So I wrote this.
I’ve always wanted to be an engineer. Most of my first memories were drawing up Rube Goldberg machines that would catch bad guys. I dreamed of being an “inventor,” idolizing Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers, Ben Franklin, and the list goes on. I was always “making” something. Learning how things worked was and still is very fascinating to me. I’d take apart controllers and toys and try to figure out how they go back together.
It has always been a part of who I am. I gravitated towards computers at a very young age. Their potential was limitless. I got into programming as a teenager and took college courses in high school. I modded game consoles and tried to learn everything I could about them. Building them was fun as well. It felt good to use something I made.
I used to watch Ben Heck on YouTube as a teenager and loved watching him turn every console into a handheld. It was mind-blowing.
One day, I wanted some kind of macro on my keyboard and thought, “Hmmm, I wonder if I could make one myself?” In 2017, I made my first hardwired TKL out of an old cheap Amazon mech board, using TMK firmware, and a teensy. The sense of accomplishment in using a keyboard that I wired myself was Amazing. The learning process was amazing. I have something I made for myself and get to use every day. It just sparked something in me. For the next couple of years, I was building keyboards. Building keyboards that other people had designed. Eventually, I opened up a shop and sold them, too.
But that was never enough for me. I had to make them from scratch, and I’ll be damned if I wasn’t going to learn the PCB design software. I had a very in-depth understanding of the circuitry, I just didn’t know how to get it out of my brain and into the computer.
So I committed to learning. I spent hours scouring the internet for PCB design software and learning how to use it. And that’s when I designed the Dweebs Macro Mini. That was my first-ever design. Then my most successful keyboard, the Crowboard. I just kept going from there. It was every other month I had something that I wanted to make, and you know what? I just made it.
Now, I get an idea, and I don’t have to imagine it. I can make it real. You know? I have the power to do that.
I eventually closed up shop so that I could focus on designing. Something about the business didn’t work for me. It was a lot of things, but mostly, my creativity was stifled and focused on creating for the masses. That wasn’t the objective anymore. The money was just a way to continue my hobby. I never sold with the intent of profit margins. It was to fund the next project. I don’t think there was a single keyboard on which I made an actual profit; it was always put back to make the next thing.
The most important thing for me in this hobby is spreading knowledge. I want everyone to be able to start creating, and it’s nice to have a community of people who are not only taking but also giving back.
So to answer the question. Why keyboards? Because it’s easy. It’s easy enough for anyone to get into who wants it enough. I can be as creative as I want to be. And the best part is I can use it. Every. Single. Day. I am an artist, and my medium at the moment just happens to be keyboards.
With all of this said, it is time to announce my retirement from This hobby… That or a sabbatical.
I feel like I have done all that I can, exploring every avenue that has been worth exploring. It doesn’t mean I am completely done with making things, but I think I am done with keyboards. I would like to start looking into making controllers and other similar devices. So maybe I won’t be that far from this place.
I am finishing up around three more projects right now. Once those are finished, I will step out for at least a little while. If I do decide to start back up, you’ll see my work on my Github. But I will likely never come back into the spotlight. It was amazing being a part of this. It was so much fun interacting with everyone. Most of you have been wonderful—especially those of you in the Ergo community.
