I know all jobs are jobs, and all work is work, and I have no plans to bail on my software job for another field. But like you mention, the tangible, physical,

I know all jobs are jobs, and all work is work, and I have no plans to bail on my software job for another field. But like you mention, the tangible, physical, lasting product of your efforts is an attractive concept. That's probably the reason I like to make stuff in my spare time, and why I prefer to show that stuff off rather than talk about my work most of the time. I don't have to explain why my work is interesting or important. Even if the stuff I make isn't 'important', people can appreciate a finished physical thing and the work that went into it, and I can dive into details about how I made it and the choices I made.