1. Set up the development environment:

   • Install Node.js on your machine.

   • Install Visual Studio Code from the official website and open it.

2. Initialize the project:

   • Open VS Code and create a new folder for your portfolio app project.

   • Open the project folder in VS Code.

   • In VS Code, open the integrated terminal by selecting View > Terminal from the menu or by pressing Ctrl+` (Backtick).

   • Run npm init in the integrated terminal to initialize a new Node.js project. Follow the prompts to set up the project details.

3. Set up the backend:

   • In the integrated terminal, run npm install express mongoose jsonwebtoken to install Express.js, Mongoose, and JSON Web Token dependencies.

   • Create a new file named server.js in the project folder.

   • Write the necessary code in server.js to set up the Express.js server, define routes, and implement middleware for handling requests and serving static files.

   • Integrate MongoDB using Mongoose to connect to the database and define data schemas.

4. Implement user authentication:

   • In the integrated terminal, run npm install bcrypt jsonwebtoken to install additional dependencies for password hashing and JWT authentication.

   • Create user models and implement registration and login routes in the server.js file.

   • Generate and validate JWT tokens to authenticate and authorize access to protected routes.

5. Set up the frontend:

   • Open a new terminal in VS Code by selecting Terminal > New Terminal or by pressing Ctrl+` (Backtick).

   • In the new terminal, navigate to the project folder using the cd command.

   • Run npx create-react-app client to create a new React application in a subdirectory named "client."

   • After the command finishes, switch to the client directory by running cd client.

6. Design the UI and components:

   • Inside the client directory, create React components for different sections of the portfolio, such as the homepage, portfolio items, and contact form.

   • Design and style the components using CSS or a CSS-in-JS solution like styled-components.

   • Implement client-side routing using react-router-dom to navigate between different sections of the app.

7. Integrate with backend APIs:

   • Define API routes on the backend in the server.js file to handle CRUD operations for portfolio items, user profiles, and other data.

   • Use axios or a similar library to make HTTP requests from the frontend to the backend APIs.

   • Implement frontend API functions to interact with the backend and update the UI accordingly.

8. Handle file uploads:

   • Implement a file upload feature for artists/designers to upload images or other media files related to their portfolio items.

   • Utilize a library like multer on the backend to handle file uploads and store the files on the server or a cloud storage service like AWS S3.

9. Test and debug:

   • Continuously test the app's functionality, both on the frontend and backend, using the integrated terminal and browser developer tools.

   • Debug any issues that arise and make necessary fixes.

10. Deploy the app:

    • Choose a hosting platform like Heroku, AWS, or Netlify for deployment.

    • Configure the deployment settings to build and deploy both the backend and frontend.

    • Deploy the app to a live server and ensure it runs smoothly.

Throughout the process, you can utilize the various features and extensions