I have been using Python for 12 years. My interest in Python began with an interest in the 3D modeling application Blender. Blender uses Python as its internal scripting language.
Scripting with Python in Blender provided me with a foundation as well as a passion for creating visuals through the use of code. The desire to create graphics through code led me to the Processing language. Processing allowed me to add interactivity to the visuals I was creating, adding a new dimension to what I was able to create. Processing then in turn led me to p5js, allowing me to take the same kinds of interactive programs from processing and to run them in a web browser. This introduced me to JavaScript and web development in general.
Though I have always enjoyed coding as a hobby, I have had the opportunity to apply the skill in professional capacities. As a Linux Admin at Blue Sky Studios, I used Python and Bash scripts to automate many daily tasks. We used the orchestration and management tools Ansible and Puppet to extend the reach of these scripting languages
Scripting has taught me that you don't always need to build everything from scratch. There is vast potential in making use of tools and applications that already exist. This mindset, coupled with the rise of cloud computing brought me into the world of AWS.
For three years, I have explored and experimented with AWS for use in personal projects. Early in 2021 I completed a project where I build a render farm service in AWS and integrated it into Blender in the form of an addon. This project further solidified my interest in AWS and cloud computing. After serveral months of studying, I took and passed the AWS Solutions Architect Associate Certification Exam.
Whether scripting with Python in Blender, building a video game in Unity, or building a web application on AWS, the motivation for me has always remained the same. I am motivated by the creation of an experience. Regardless if the experience is passive or interactive, the challenge of taking an idea and realizing it through the use of code is what drives me to keep learning and growing as a developer.
Through my exploration of cloud services and interest in graphically driven coding projects, I have now found myself enthralled by the power and possiblility found in web development. The visual creativity of websites, to the interactive experiences that can be made with modern web technologies. The complex and sometimes overwhelming clockwork of the applications and hardware that run these web applications on the backend as well as the code required to stitch all these otherwise diseparate parts into a single application, is something I find fascinating beyond words.