I just read Gustavo Duarte’s essay, “Lucky to be a Programmer” and had to re-post some of it here. Rarely to I call a blog post an essay, but this one is so personal and so fun that I wanted to elevate it a bit:

Few things are better than spending time in a creative haze, consumed by ideas, watching your work come to life, going to bed eager to wake up quickly and go try things out. I am not suggesting that excessive hours are needed or even advisable; a sane schedule is a must except for occasional binges. The point is that programming is an intense creative pleasure, a perfect mixture of puzzles, writing, and craftsmanship.

My brother, Chris and I have often felt this “intense creative pleasure” and I think that’s why we are now designers / programmers. It’s such a fun job! Duarte goes on:

This analytical side is what most people associate with programming. It does make it interesting, like a complex strategy game. But in most software the primary challenge is communication: with fellow programmers via code and with users via interfaces. By and large, writing code is more essay than puzzle. It is shaping your ideas and schemes into a coherent body; it is seeking clarity, simplicity and conciseness. Both code and interfaces abound with the simple joy of creation.

All I can think of to say is, “Thanks for finding words to describe how I feel!”