the art of code

is there art in development?

according to this source, art is a craft containing inspiration. while it may be a vague definition, its a theory i have been preaching since i went pro with web development.

certain aspects of programming might be debatable. circuit programming comes to mind.. assembly..

i would have to argue that web development is completely artistic. seriously, look at my site. this whole sandbox is my artistic castle. every few months, i tear it down and rebuild it again just to see what new castle i come up with next.

i read an article once about a column writer who tried to locate bill watterson for an interview (calvin and hobbes). he went to his hometown and no one would divulge his whereabouts. the rumor around town was that watterson had retired to more artistic practices.

apparently, he would sit by the lake and paint the same picture over and over again striving for perfection. (apparently van gogh did this)

development can be the same way, although sometimes we pair up and trade off development, and then slap a methodology on it and call it XP. doesn't that rob the art from it? do we develop to automate our lives, or to create something beautiful?

do we build bridges to cross the water, or to amaze the generations of aspiring architects and engineers that follow us? why do i look at the pyramids on google earth and simply wonder?

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