Coding as art

17 Mar 2025 - Wildeng

I graduated in electronic engineering — a practical, structured subject where precision matters and creativity often takes a back seat. But long before that, two things shaped how I see the world: playing the guitar and coding on a C64.

I was 12 when I got my hands on that C64. My first coding projects were practical — I even wrote a program to try to win the Totocalcio (Italy’s football pool). It didn’t work, but the thrill of making the machine do what I wanted stuck with me. I also experimented with sprites and graphics, discovering the creative side of code.

At the same time, I was studying classical guitar while trying to replicate the sounds of Hendrix, Clapton, BB King, and Led Zeppelin by ear. Coding and music seemed like opposites — one technical, the other emotional — but over time, I realized they weren’t so different. Both require structure and creativity, precision and expression.

Around my thirties, I tried to get into film photography — this was around 2003 — but it didn’t click. Maybe I didn’t have the right information or the right mindset. So I stopped. Then about a year ago, I picked up digital photography more seriously, and now I’m back to film too. This time it feels different — partly because I’ve found some great people on Pixelfed who’ve shared the right suggestions at the right time.

That’s why, even now as a software engineer, I feel the need to do something artistic. Creativity and logic aren’t opposites — they feed each other and need each other. That’s why I’m sure many software engineers out there are doing some kind of creative work. It’s not just a balance — it’s part of what makes us good at both.

Things I like - in random order


A picture of the river Don that I’ve taken with my film camera in Kelham Island - Sheffield
the picture shows the river don in Kelham Island Sheffield. On the right side some old red brick industrial buildings are reflecting in the river's water which has a brownish colour. On the left leafless trees and bushes. In the middle of the picture two tall modern buildings can be seen on the background while in the foreground there are other red brick old industrial ones, some ducks are floating on the water

I like this one that I took with my digital camera. A sweet moment during the Chinese New Year festival in Sheffield
A man is putting a lion head made of inflated balloons on the head of a toddler. The picture tries to show the happiness of the moment. The shot has been taken during Chinese new year celebrations

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