passion

Coding is the art of bringing thoughts into digital and physical reality.

I love this definition; so many gems to unpack from 1 concise statement.

With coding we wield the power to shape the digital realm according to our imagination and needs.

Picture this: You’re sitting in front of a blank canvas, armed with nothing but your thoughts and a bunch of dev tools.

With a few lines of code, you summon objects into existence, breathe life into algorithms, and orchestrate systems that operate with precision and purpose.

In this digital realm you are the architect, the creator, the god of your own universe. Every line of code is a brushstroke, painting the landscape of your creation.

You design the story of execution, from the inception of an idea to its realization, with the potent aid of lightning-fast computers that transform your commands into tangible results.

Coding is a force amplifier.

Thanks to iteration, recursion, and more, tiny scripts can easily complete unbelievable amounts of work in fractions of a second; work that no one on their own could possibly hope to finish in 10 life times.

Or operating continuously, 24/7, even when everyone is asleep, and throughout all seasons and holidays.

You breathe life into those inert lines of text, imbuing them with functionality and purpose. Bringing forth programs and applications that serve myriad functions; from simplifying mundane tasks to revolutionizing entire industries.

The mere challenge of carefully constructing a complex software system from the growing gives you a strong sense of self-accomplishment, achievement and inner power.

Even going beyond ourselves, coding is a gateway to solving real-world problems that surround us. From streamlining business operations to revolutionizing healthcare, coding empowers us to tackle challenges with efficiency and innovation.

Coding enables us to innovate continually, pushing the boundaries of what is possible and driving progress forward. Whether it’s developing groundbreaking applications, pioneering new technologies, or optimizing existing systems, coding empowers us to make an impact on a global scale.

Consider the countless innovations that have reshaped our world: from social media to e-commerce to the AI tools many of us have gone crazy about; each breakthrough stems from the minds of individuals who dared to dream and had the skills to code their visions into reality.

Apps that never once existed; now brought into existence with the power of thought; now installed in the devices of billions across all the nations of the globe; now influencing lives every single day.

In our information age being able to code is like possessing a superpower—an ability to wield technology as a force for good, to shape the world in ways previously unimaginable. With coding we have the power to improve the quality of life for billions, to democratize access to information and opportunity, and to pave the way for a brighter, more connected future.

Coding is more than just a technical skill—it is a catalyst for change, a tool for empowerment, and a gateway to infinite possibilities. With it we can shape a future that’s not only technologically advanced but also as close to utopia as we can get.

Simply put: Coding a better world into existence for all, enjoying every step along the way.

We often associate coding with logic, problem-solving, and cold, hard facts.

But what if we shifted our perspective and viewed code through the lens of unity, seeing it as a beautiful ecosystem woven from diverse threads of interconnected elements?

This shift can unlock new ways of understanding, crafting, and appreciating the art of programming.

Imagine a game of chess.

Each piece, while powerful in its own right, finds its true potential when working in harmony with the others. Knights flank, pawns push, and rooks guard, united in their pursuit of checkmate.

There’s something grand majestic I’ve always found in seeing various components of a complex system working together towards a shared end.

Whether it’s a soccer team making a beautiful teamwork goal, or thousands of people in a business collaborating to launch a product to millions or billions of users.

It must be a echo of our aching desire to part of something bigger than ourselves; of something grand and greater.

In the same way code exists not as a collection of isolated lines, but as a symphony of components, each playing its part in the grand composition of the program.

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) embodies this principle of unity; by encapsulating data and functionality within objects, OOP creates self-contained units that interact and collaborate.

It’s like dividing a song into sections for different instruments and audio layers, each contributing its unique voice while adhering to the overall flow and rhythm.

The rhythm, the vocals, the tune…

Imagine a program built with OOP; each object, whether a player character in a game or a customer object in a shopping cart application, becomes a mini-world unto itself, yet seamlessly integrates with the larger system.

But unity extends beyond individual objects. Imagine breaking down a complex program into modular systems, each with its own well-defined purpose.

Similar to the departments in a company each module focuses on a specific task like user authentication or data processing. These modules then communicate through APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), standardized languages that facilitate seamless collaboration.

Picture the API as a translator ensuring smooth communication between modules just like diplomats ensure cooperation between nations.

This modular approach not only fosters code organization but also promotes reusability and independent development, allowing different teams to contribute to the unified whole.

The concept of unity even shines through in the ever-evolving world of microservices. Imagine a monolithic application as a centralized factory, a single, atomic unit humming with activity.

As powerful as that may be it’ll be pretty tough to update or repair specific functionalities since they’re all tightly couple to one another. But for microservices we break the system into smaller + independent services like specialized stations in the factory.

Each service operates autonomously, yet communicates through standardized protocols, ensuring collaboration. This distributed architecture promotes agility, scalability, and resilience, fostering a unified system that easily adapts to our changing needs.

Seeing coding as unity doesn’t diminish the rigor of logic or the importance of problem-solving. Instead, it adds a layer of appreciation for the elegance and beauty that emerges when disparate elements become a cohesive whole.

Like a composer finding the perfect harmony between instruments, we strive for unity in algorithms, searching for the most efficient and unified approach to solve a problem. We craft elegant frameworks and reusable libraries promoting consistency and collaboration across projects.

This shift in perspective isn’t just about aesthetics; it has practical implications.

By understanding the connections between components, coders can debug more effectively, anticipate unintended consequences, and write code that is easier to maintain and adapt. It fosters a collaborative spirit, where individual contributions become building blocks for a unified system.

Remember, unity doesn’t imply uniformity. Just like a diverse ecosystem thrives on interconnectedness while celebrating individual species, code benefits from variety within unity.

Different programming paradigms, languages, and libraries enrich the landscape, offering solutions tailored to specific problems. The key lies in understanding the underlying principles of unity and applying them creatively to bring the best out of each unique element.

So, the next time you open your code editor, remember the power of unity. See your code not as a jumble of lines, but as a symphony waiting to be composed.

By appreciating the connections and collaborations within your program, you’ll not only write better code, but also unlock a deeper understanding and appreciation for the art of programming.

“Don’t code for code’s sake!”

“The code doesn’t matter — only programs do…”

“Coding is not creative it’s logic…”

The thing is many programmers simply don’t see how coding can be creative or intrinsically interesting.

And you know it’s not so easy to stay excited if your days revolve mostly around building apps that do little more than fetch data from a database and display it to the users for them to change.

That can become so repetitive after a while, even worse when you’re using the same tech stack over and over.

Not any better when you find yourself constantly copying and pasting from StackOverflow — programming becomes a little more than a routine chore, rather than an intensive exercise promoting genuine problem-solving and creativity.

And maybe your job demands that you act this way – with all the dry business requirements and the tight deadlines.

But this won’t help you reap the great joys that abound in programming or experience the satisfaction and empowerment that come from solving complex problems and creating something from nothing.

To gain the maximum emotional benefits, you must focus on the process as much as the goal and realize that coding is more than just a means to an end.

“Personal” creativity and mental engagement

What if we see coding as a creative art form that allows abstract thoughts and concepts to materialize into tangible and functional systems?

Making a mark on the broad canvas of our code editor with the paintbrushes of our programming languages and frameworks.

It may be hard to see a connection between coding and creativity when there are now well-established algorithms for just about every logical/mathematical problem that could crop up during development. It seems like there’s nothing new under the programming sun.

Yet I don’t see why this should matter. From the perspective of personal enjoyment, the only creativity that matters is personal creativity. The knowledge brought forth from your mind, compared to what’s already in there. Relative novelty: The difference what you’re subjectively aware of and what you’re not.

Just think of movies. Right now, Fast X is like the only Fast and Furious movie I’m yet to see.

And when I finally do get to see it, would it matter how many other thousands and millions of people have seen the movie? That they’ve had those new experiences doesn’t rob *me* of them – as long they don’t cough up spoilers.

What if you’re tackling a math proof or proving a complex theorem and you come up with some astoundingly brilliant solution? Even if the theorem was already well-known in the math community and proven solutions have existed since time immemorial, the fact is *you* never knew it. You will still experience mental engagement and positive challenges as you immerse yourself in the task.

That fiery spark of mental engagement igniting the depth of your intellect, kindling a boundless flow, carrying you for hours, transcending the realms of time — sleep becomes a distant memory. It’s a mesmerizing force holding you at the edge of your seat, empowering passion and unwavering dedication to your craft.

Contrary to what we usually believe, moments like these, the best moments in our lives, are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times—although such experiences can also be enjoyable, if we have worked hard to attain them. The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile. Optimal experience is thus something that we make happen.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

How to enjoy programming

To truly appreciate coding as more than just a mere job, but instead an exciting and fulfilling pursuit, it is important for us to find genuine pleasure and motivation in it, beyond the external rewards of monetary gain and fame.

1. Implement new algorithms

Yes you know quick sort and depth-first search but what about the thousands of other algorithms you’ve probably never heard of?

Read up on the high-level details of a particular named algorithm and try writing it yourself — and don’t use StackOverflow or any code completion tool for this one, because now the process matters as much as the goal.

Challenging yourself to learn and implement new algorithms keeps your brain active and promotes intellectual growth. It enhances your programming proficiency, providing you with a deep understanding of various languages and constructs.

By diving into the intricacies of algorithms, you’re peeling back the layers of abstraction present in many coding libraries, promoting a profound grasp of these underlying tools’ architectures and mechanisms.

This understanding and skill set encourage innovative thinking, enabling you to formulate new combinations or adaptations of these algorithms. Most importantly, the excitement and satisfaction derived from the successful execution of these complex codes can be quite exhilarating, adding pleasure to your programming pursuits.

2. Solve interesting word problems

It doesn’t matter whether it’s Math, Physics, or Programming.

Word problems are always an incredible way to challenge your cognitive functions especially as they test your ability to process all the information and convert it into software requirements and then into code.

You have to carefully break down various tasks into smaller, manageable components, and then identify the appropriate data structures, control structures, and operations needed to achieve all of them. Successfully going through all of these not only gives you a deep sense of accomplishment (which could vary depending on the complexity of the problem), but it also drastically improves your logic, abstraction, and critical thinking skills.

Where to find these types of problems?

Coding Beauty Play is one — you’ll discover engaging puzzles that boost your coding skills, train your brain, and keep you mentally sharp.

Regularly updated with at least one new puzzle a week.

3. Create your own game

There’s no denying how cool they can be. Even addictive for some.

It’s not uncommon to hear stories of how the beauty and splendor of games were what inspired people to go into programming in the first place. Some of us even had albeit unrealistic but passionately ambitious game development goals – like I remember how I wanted to create my own 3D football game by myself at age 9 with pure C++.

Whether it’s a sci-fi movie or a hardcore game, there can be this magnificent technological blend of the most heartfelt art and the most sophisticated science, that intensely inspires you to absorb as much as you can about this marvelous world and be the most competent you can possibly be to create the most extraordinary creation you can ever imagine.

Apart from the beautiful virtual world that stands to emerge from your own mind with code, game dev is packed with a vast array of mathematical concepts, ranging from basic arithmetic to complex calculations in 3D space.

Game development demands unparalleled logical reasoning due to its complex system of interactions. We create comprehensive rules, anticipate design loopholes, safeguard player balance and progression, and sometimes much more. This rigorous logical exercise stimulates the mind and significantly enhances decision-making skills and logical competence.

Final thoughts

The summary of it all is challenge, novelty, and creativity.

Embrace programming as a journey of continuous learning and intellectual discovery, rather than a predictable routine task. Find joy in the art of coding, make room for personal creativity, and imbue your craft with your unique touch. Implement new algorithms, solve word problems, create your own games and ensure the process matters as much as the result. Stay passionately curious, break the routine, and enjoy the thrill of innovation.