When you want to be able to deploy interesting web projects alongside a blog with a unified and personal theme, using a CMS or blog engine stops becoming an option. Maybe you just don't want to deal with all of the concerns of hosting, securing, and updating WordPress on your own. Or maybe you want to be able to serve lots of visitors quickly on slim hardware. If any of these sounds like you, it is time to look at static site generators, such as Metalsmith. This post covers how to get started building a basic blog with Metalsmith.