The Joy of Programming: A Love Note
Did you ever truly love something and had no idea why? This ?thing? you love doesn?t match your personality or your normal genre of interests. It might even be something you?re embarrassed of (for instance, I love the movie Princess Diaries ? I am NOT ashamed!). I didn?t say ?like?, as in ?I like tofu? or ?I like brownies? or ?I like to watch Ashley dance? (and I do like all of these things, a lot). I?m talking about L-O-V-E. Well, that is what web programming is for me, an odd love in a dirty-laundry-list of odd loves that make me so, um, (fill in the blank). Make sense? Let me explain.
Graphic designers are visual people, some entering this field to make money as an artist (or maybe that?s just me). It is mostly visual beauty in the form of colors and fonts and textures, and tactile beauty with papers and coatings. Programming code doesn?t appear to fit the typical artist mind. (I get to this conclusion from talking with my fellow designers about code?you?ve never seen a person?s eyes glaze over so quickly!) Now, before anyone get?s all unhinged saying that programmers can also be amazing creative artists (which they can), let me be clear: I love the code. Yes, all those lines of numbers and letters and symbols often morph into a beautiful collage of working art. (This beauty does not extend to entire files of code that are one solid chunk of run-on sentence without bathroom breaks.)
Programming, for me, was a secondary thought after I was already working as a designer. I fell into it several years ago, wanting a job that required the ability to program (which I may have stretched the truth a bit about my skills to get), and I am forever grateful for this turn of events. Since then, I?ve taken classes for programming, but truly learn the most from just doing it. Finding websites I think are interesting, and looking at the code or finding tutorials and trudging through them. But it?s my love for the code that keeps me coming back time and again.
It makes me weak in the knees to know I get to program a website, using tags and CSS and maybe a function or two. I love taking the static files of the site layout and bringing them to life. I love figuring out how to get all of the details to work, details requested by people who don?t have the first clue on whether it?s easy to code or not. I love getting websites to work in all the different browsers. (Ok, maybe that last one is just something I tolerate for my art.) The point is, I love it. Love love love it. And when you love something, you are always striving to learn more and be great.
If you want to find a good web programmer, find one who LOVES to program. People who love what they do, weather it be a baker or mechanic or designer, will want to create something great doing what they love. Just look for the L-O-V-E. You are almost guaranteed to get your money?s worth?or more!
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? Post written by Cristy Wiza.
