Kirby CMS runs this website with a theme I designed to eliminate the standard design principles of a blog.
A home page recommends a selection of posts. No page is a reverse chronological list. Even if a reader visits one that’s supposed to be, for example, an archive, they won’t see a list. At the bottom of every page is an option to search and to visit a random post. A prominent nav bar at the footer allows navigation around every post. There are a lot of other minor touches sprinkled throughout.
Plus there are colours. Minimal doesn’t mean black and white. Minimal can have personality. It does now.
My newsletter Square 101 is run by Beehiiv.