CJ Eller

The writing wasn’t inhibited any more than it is with the plain text editor, but I did find myself casually emphasizing things much more, since it’s just a Ctrl+I away. I was also consistently happy to not have to type out syntax for a Markdown link.

This quick thought from Matt about the joy of using keyboard shortcuts in the new Classic Editor reminds me of a similar joy I got out of just discovering a keyboard shortcut for commenting out multiple lines in Visual Studio Code (shout out to Scott Hanselman for that). This little discovery made it so I didn't have to type out a # for every line. Like not having to type out syntax for a Markdown link, it lead to a release of inhibitions — iterating with code much more freely, expressing my ideas at a faster rate.

This is what I'm discovering for myself lately with keyboard shortcuts. I feel like I'm learning the guitar all over again — the thrill of discovering techniques and realizing how they unlock new modes of expression, new pieces to my repertoire.

When you start frequently using particular shortcuts, they stop acting like shortcuts. They just become the way you do things. They allow your computer to better become a creative outlet. Much like the guitar, that self-expression what I am trying to get out of my laptop.