It’s highly inventive. You’re making something new that didn’t exist before. Finding novel ways to solve problems. Recombining existing tools in new permutations.
Often, I hear developers talk about code as if it’s only logical. They believe the profession is about being formulaic, following the steps.
In reality, I find software development to be quite imaginative and full of choices. Although I wouldn’t call coding a high art — like music, painting, or dance — I do believe software development offers us a lot of creative choices.
As developers, we do ourselves a disservice when we talk about our work dryly. Indeed, much of the value we bring as developers is our ability to make creative choices, given constraints.
What would it change about your coding practice if you started to think of it as a creative practice?