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I just wanted to think about other creative jobs, didn't say programming was, actually, the most creative. The other guy mentioned cooking. I wouldn't think ab

• veddox 11y ago
  > I [...] didn't say programming was, actually, the most creative. Then you need to rephrase your question. In normal conversational English, "Is there any job more creative than programming?" implies that you consider programming to be the most creative job. I think we should need to step back and define "creative" before we move on with this discussion. For me, being creative means doing things that have never been done in this way before. Writing a poem no-one has ever written, painting a picture no-one has ever painted, singing a song that has never been sung. The opposite of creativity is doing things "by the book". If I am just following a set of instructions, or applying a bunch of rules, that is not being creative. Two examples: if I am cooking a meal from a cookery book, that is not very creative. But if I made the recipe up myself, it is. If I implement quick sort, that is not very creative - thousands of people have done it before me, there are plenty of instructions out there. On the other hand, if I come up with my own, original algorithm, that is being creative. Being creative means exploring the universe of possibilities. The further away you get from the comfy planet of "it's-been-done-before", the more creative you are.