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One way in which I've found the two to be incredibly similar: they're both very good at throwing me into the flow zone. And I love being there, which is why my

by dopu 6y ago

One way in which I've found the two to be incredibly similar: they're both very good at throwing me into the flow zone. And I love being there, which is why my full time job is basically programming all day long. They're different because you're solving pretty different problems when you're doing them. Drawing well requires honing the particular set of fine motor skills which allow you to set down lines smoothly. It also requires you to be able to visualize shapes well, and to develop a good aesthetic sense. These things are for the most part nonverbal, and require a long time to master. When I'm drawing, I'm not really thinking as explicitly about what I'm trying to do as when I'm programming. It's more seat of the pants, because you can't put a line down 100% in the way you'd like to. And you're not really trying to anyway. You adjust here and there, but ultimately "right" is just a subjective feeling. Programming isn't fuzzy like that -- there are particular bounds to what the the compiler is going to let you do, and there is often a well defined "correct" behavior. The problems you're solving in programming are much more easily verbalized.

kasool 6y ago
I agree with the difference you describe. A lot of people who are "naturally gifted" at drawing just have an intuitive sense of what is right, and just are able to draw without thinking too hard. When master artists are sketching the layout of their scene, they're not necessarily explicitly thinking about vanishing points and perspective. With practice, this stuff becomes completely intuitive. Unfortunately this often means that the best drawers are not necessarily the best teachers : ) For the record though, I think pretty much anyone can learn to draw "well".
Hoasi 6y ago
> One way in which I've found the two to be incredibly similar: they're both very good at throwing me into the flow zone. You are onto something here. I wouldn't exactly call myself a coder, but I do draw for a living and would agree this is the essential similarity between the two. Another similitude is that both involve a sense of building and play; who knows, that is perhaps the key to flow.

by dopu 6y ago

kasool 6y ago

I agree with the difference you describe. A lot of people who are "naturally gifted" at drawing just have an intuitive sense of what is right, and just are able to draw without thinking too hard. When master artists are sketching the layout of their scene, they're not necessarily explicitly thinking about vanishing points and perspective. With practice, this stuff becomes completely intuitive. Unfortunately this often means that the best drawers are not necessarily the best teachers : ) For the record though, I think pretty much anyone can learn to draw "well".

Hoasi 6y ago

> One way in which I've found the two to be incredibly similar: they're both very good at throwing me into the flow zone. You are onto something here. I wouldn't exactly call myself a coder, but I do draw for a living and would agree this is the essential similarity between the two. Another similitude is that both involve a sense of building and play; who knows, that is perhaps the key to flow.