Most of my blog and project posts on the forum I have made are ended with me saying just how much I am enjoying learning to programme. Of course being a bit of a geek i saw this pattern and immediately went about seeing why it is there.

I really do love coding, at least I do so far having just taken on my first personal project( see my other blog if you are interested). It is a very rewarding passtime, seeing real, interactive results from your hard work and minutes (hours?) debugging that pesky If/Else statement, or covering all the angles with a long list of Cases.

But even then, why??

My earliest memory of aspiration was wanting to become a potter; yes like with the spinning wheel and the clay and water. I can't remember why, but I have a vague memory of going to Poole pottery, near where I live, and watching these people expertly render fantastic flowing shapes from this inert and lifeless lump of "special" mud, and that creative spark took a long time to find somewhere to shine.

As I grew up (or at least older, I still think that growing up is overrated) my aspirations were predominately desires and dreams to build or design things. Anything and everything from cars and boats to jets and spaceships, sci-fi books were like how-to manualy for me, and I wanted to be part of making these fantastical worlds into something that I could experience in my lifetime.

Now that I have began coding I really do thing that I have taken steps towards this dream. The dramatic proliferation of ICT into our everyday lives is only accellerating, and we are not necessarily more reliant, but we do a lot more with a smartphone or a computer now that we did a few years ago.

Apple have made it possible for "small time" programmers to get world wide access with their Apps store, along with a wide variety of platforms. Open source projects are great ways for amateur and recreational coders to get involved with big exciting projects. Android have their "DIY" app maker. And as a lot of people keep saying, with the advent of the internet, information is only becoming easier to find and access.

I really do believe that with the right push, programming could be the new crearive outlet for a whole generation, now is the time with smart products insinuating themselves with more and more of our daily tasks, my iPhone is my diary, address book, alarm, work out log, buss pass, and so much more. I have a cornucopia of periodicals and books on my iPad, as well as a my "out of office office" apps that allow me to draft ideas and work on the fly, wherever and whenever I like. Or quickly make a note with a sound recording if I hear that catchy song, or to grab someones e-mail quickly.

All of this is thanks to dedicated peole thinking, designing, making, programming, and I want to be one of them.

Now is the time :)