The “Art” of Programming | Aayush Mohapatra | TEDxSioux Falls Youth

Summary

The speaker shares his journey from building a website at nine to learning Python, highlighting the creative and artistic side of coding. He argues that programming is a form of self-expression, akin to painting or writing, and challenges the stereotype of programmers as solely logical or intelligent. He criticizes traditional coding education for being too rigid and not fostering creativity, advocating for a more exploratory approach to inspire the next generation of innovators.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The speaker shares the story of building their first website at nine years old, which sparked a deep interest in programming.
• 👨‍💻 Contrary to stereotypes, the speaker did not have a natural inclination towards coding; they learned it out of curiosity and necessity.
• 💻 The speaker's first coding experience was motivated by their father, who encouraged them to create a website during summer break.
• ⏳ Despite the long tutorial (seven hours), the speaker was determined and spent 12 hours creating the website, which gave them a sense of accomplishment and euphoria.
• 🐍 The speaker later learned Python at the age of 12 but found the experience less fulfilling compared to their first coding project.
• 💡 The speaker realized that programming is often viewed through stereotypes as boring, logical, and difficult, which deters many from learning it.
• 🎨 The speaker argues that programming is an art form, involving creativity, problem-solving, and self-expression, similar to painting or writing.
• 🎯 The speaker emphasizes that coding can be fulfilling when approached as a creative process rather than just solving logical problems.
• 🎥 The speaker criticizes traditional coding tutorials for being too rigid, promoting a narrow, solution-focused mindset that stifles creativity.
• 🚀 The speaker encourages a more creative and exploratory approach to teaching programming, which can inspire innovation and make the process more enjoyable.

Q & A

What was the speaker's first experience with creating a website like?

The speaker's first experience with creating a website involved watching a seven-hour tutorial video, following along with Microsoft Notepad, and spending 12 hours from 10 AM to 10 PM to complete the website.

Why did the speaker feel like a god after finishing his first website?

The speaker felt like a god because he experienced a sense of euphoria and power, feeling like he could create his ideal world and shape it to his desires through coding.

What did the speaker do with his first website after completing it?

The speaker left his first website in the recycling bin after summer break, never to see it again.

At what age did the speaker start learning Python, and why was it chosen?

The speaker started learning Python at the age of 12 because it is recommended for beginners, as it reads like English and is considered the best for starting out in programming.

Why did the speaker not feel the same excitement when learning Python as he did with his first website?

The speaker did not feel the same excitement because the process of learning Python through tutorials did not give him the same kick or sense of fulfillment as creating his first website did.

What did the speaker realize about programming that led to his epiphany?

The speaker realized that programming is often viewed through stereotypes, such as requiring a high IQ or being boring and logical, which is not true. He discovered the artistic side of programming, which involves creativity and self-expression.

According to the speaker, what is the definition of art according to the Cambridge Dictionary?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, art is the making of objects, images, music, etc., that are beautiful or express feelings.

Why does the speaker argue that programming is an art?

The speaker argues that programming is an art because it is a creative process that involves imagination, problem-solving, and understanding the world around us, similar to creating a painting or composing music.

What does the speaker suggest is the reason many people do not code?

The speaker suggests that many people do not code because they think it is boring and that they are not smart enough for it, which are misconceptions based on stereotypes and the way programming is often taught.

What two factors does the speaker identify as contributing to the stereotype of programming?

The two factors identified by the speaker are pop culture, which stereotypes programmers as nerds, and the way programming is taught, which often lacks creativity and exploration.

What is the speaker's suggestion for a more engaging way to teach coding?

The speaker suggests teaching coding with a creative and explorative mindset, allowing learners to build something and get their hands dirty, rather than focusing on a single solution to a problem.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Discovering the Artistry of Coding

The speaker shares their personal journey of creating their first website at the age of nine, dispelling the myth that they were destined to be a tech prodigy. They describe the initial experience as a tedious yet rewarding process, which led to a sense of euphoria and power. However, when they later learned Python, the experience felt less fulfilling, prompting an introspection about the nature of programming. The speaker concludes that programming is often viewed through stereotypes, missing its artistic and creative potential, which they argue is the true essence of coding.

05:03

🎨 The Creative Side of Coding

This paragraph delves into the artistic aspect of programming, challenging the common perception of it as a purely logical and boring activity. The speaker argues that coding is a creative process that involves imagination and problem-solving, similar to painting. They liken the coding process to an artist's journey, where the coder's code editor is the canvas and the keyboard the tool for expression. The speaker criticizes traditional coding education for promoting a fixed mindset and stifling creativity, suggesting that this approach could hinder future innovation. They advocate for a teaching method that encourages exploration and self-expression, concluding with the idea that coding should be seen as an art form that allows for unique personal expression.

Keywords

💡Website

A website is a collection of web pages that are accessed via the internet. In the script, the speaker recounts how they built their first website as a nine-year-old, emphasizing the early exposure to programming and the sense of accomplishment that came from creating something functional and visible on the web. This act symbolizes the speaker's initial foray into the world of coding, igniting a passion for technology.

💡Programming

Programming refers to the process of writing instructions for a computer to execute. The script contrasts the stereotypical view of programming as a logical, rigid task with the speaker's realization that it can also be an artistic and creative process. This dual nature of programming is a central theme, highlighting the speaker's journey from feeling constrained by programming’s logical demands to recognizing it as a medium for self-expression.

💡Python

Python is a high-level programming language known for its readability and simplicity, making it popular among beginners. The speaker describes their experience learning Python at age 12, noting that while the language is recommended for its ease, it initially left them feeling unfulfilled compared to their earlier experience with web development. This highlights the importance of personal connection and interest in the tools one uses to create.

💡Creativity

Creativity is the use of imagination or original ideas to create something. In the script, the speaker advocates for viewing programming as a creative process akin to art, where the programmer can express themselves and bring ideas to life. This concept challenges the conventional perception of coding as purely technical and underscores the speaker’s belief that creativity is essential to enjoying and succeeding in programming.

💡Self-expression

Self-expression is the ability to convey one's thoughts, feelings, or ideas through a medium. The speaker equates coding to other forms of self-expression, like writing or painting, suggesting that programming allows individuals to imprint their unique ideas and solutions into the digital world. This realization was pivotal for the speaker, as it transformed their view of programming from a mundane task to a meaningful and personal activity.

💡Tutorials

Tutorials are instructional guides, often in video or written form, that teach users how to accomplish specific tasks. The speaker refers to their use of online tutorials to learn website building and Python programming. However, they also critique these tutorials for their lack of creativity, as they often lead learners down a single, predetermined path rather than encouraging exploration and innovation.

💡Stereotypes

Stereotypes are widely held but oversimplified beliefs about a group of people or a concept. The speaker addresses the stereotypes surrounding programmers, such as being nerdy, overly logical, and requiring high intelligence. These stereotypes contribute to the misconception that programming is boring or inaccessible, which the speaker argues against by emphasizing the creative and artistic aspects of coding.

💡Art

Art is the expression of human creativity and imagination, typically in a visual form like painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power. The speaker draws a parallel between programming and art, suggesting that both involve creating something new and meaningful from nothing. This comparison serves to reframe programming as an artistic discipline, where the process is as valuable as the outcome.

💡Innovation

Innovation is the act of introducing new ideas, methods, or products. The speaker emphasizes that for programming to truly thrive as a creative discipline, it must encourage innovation. They critique the current teaching methods, which often stifle innovation by focusing on rigid, formulaic solutions rather than allowing students to explore and develop their own creative approaches.

💡Pop culture

Pop culture, or popular culture, encompasses the ideas, perspectives, attitudes, images, and other phenomena within the mainstream of a given culture. The speaker mentions how pop culture often depicts programmers in a stereotypical light, contributing to the misconception that programming is exclusively for 'nerds' and is inherently boring or overly complex. This portrayal influences how programming is perceived and taught.

Highlights

The speaker's first experience building a website at the age of nine during summer break, inspired by his father.

The speaker watched a seven-hour tutorial to learn website creation, using Microsoft Notepad as a code editor.

After 12 hours of work, the speaker felt a sense of euphoria and power, akin to being a god able to create his ideal world.

Despite the initial excitement, the speaker abandoned the website project after summer break, only to revisit coding three years later.

At 12, the speaker began learning Python, a beginner-friendly programming language that reads like English.

The speaker followed a similar process with Python tutorials as with website creation, but did not get the same satisfaction after completion.

After a month of following tutorials, the speaker felt empty and bound by the limitations of human innovation and logic.

The speaker had an epiphany about why people don't code, attributing it to the perception that it's boring and requires high intelligence.

Programming is often viewed through stereotypes, such as the need for a high IQ or mathematical ability, which is a misconception.

The speaker argues that programming is an art form, involving creativity, imagination, and problem-solving.

Coding is compared to painting, where the code editor is the canvas and the programmer's fingers are the brush.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of the creative process in coding, rather than just the end product.

Programming allows for self-expression, similar to how an artist uses a canvas or an author uses words.

The speaker criticizes the way programming is often taught, focusing on a single solution and not encouraging creativity.

The speaker suggests that the way coding is taught can stifle innovation and creativity in future generations.

The speaker calls for a change in the teaching approach to coding, to encourage exploration and creativity.

The speaker concludes by encouraging people to view programming through the lens of an artist, not a robot.

Transcripts

foreign

[Music]

[Music]

I made my first website

pause

I know what you're thinking

this man was born in a certain South

Asian country starts with an i ends with

an a when he was born his Destiny was

written in the sand to become the next

Steve Jobs or Bill Gates his first

language was some form of code and his

first words were hello world rather than

Mommy or Daddy

uh no that was not true I was just your

average nine-year-old Indian Child and

speaking of nine-year-olds why would a

nine-year-old build a website that's not

what nine-year-olds do

well one day during my summer break my

dad sat me in front of a computer and

told me to make a website and having

nothing better to do I said sure why not

so I go into my computer and search up

how to make a website enter

click the first video it's seven hours

long

I sit and I watch the whole thing I take

pauses and I to follow along I open up

the world's most premier code editor

Microsoft Notepad and I keep on going

and I grind

for about 12 hours I started at 10 and I

ended at 10 and when I finished guys I

know you're gonna love this

[Applause]

Microsoft Amazon where are my junior

developer contracts

but all jokes aside I felt something

I felt a feeling I couldn't describe at

the time something I didn't know it felt

like a Euphoria I felt the power going

through my fingertips I felt like a god

who could sculpt his Ideal World and fit

whatever he desired

but this was during summer break and

when summer break was over I just left

it into the recycling bin never to see

it again

then three years later when I was 12 I

started learning python no this isn't

I'm not a snake Tamer this is the

programming language you're talking

about here

and python is recommended for beginners

as it's the best as it reads like

English so naturally that's where I

start and

as I followed the detour so the tutorial

was very eely similar I go on to YouTube

search up free Python tutorial click

enter click the first option on YouTube

it's seven hours long and

I watched the whole thing and I open up

my code editor and I follow along with

the tutorial just like I did with the

website but once I finished

it didn't feel right I didn't get the

same kick out of it but I kept on going

I followed more tutorials and more

tutorials and I did that for about a

month and when I finally finished that

last tutorial I felt nothing

I fall empty instead of feeling like a

god who could do whatever he wanted

I felt like Immortal Bound by the chains

of human Ingenuity and logic and

reasoning and that's when I had an

epiphany

this is why people don't code

when I asked my friends why they don't

program The Boiled down to two reasons

one they thought it was boring

and two they thought they weren't smart

enough for it

with this mindset you're viewing

programming by its stereotypes

and viewing that you need to be a math

person you have to have a really big IQ

you need to fit all these criteria

before you can even think about

programming which

is simply not true

we often think of programming as boring

logical and Industrial and we view it

through one path however there's another

side that we tend to forget about and

it's the one I discovered first

the artistic side of it

the definition of art occurring a

Cambridge Dictionary is the making of

objects images music Etc that are

beautiful or that express feelings now I

present the following statement to you

programming is an art

now that might sound like an oxymoron

but that is exactly where the Crux of

the matter lies

we don't think about it like this

programming is actually a creative

process one that involves a deep

imagination problem solving and a deep

and a deep understanding of the world

around us when we code we are creating

something out of nothing building

complex systems out of simple

instructions and

just like with an actual just like with

art the process is more fulfilling than

the end product

coding follows a very similar path to

making a painting for example first

comes the vision the idea such as a

really cool app you want to build or a

painting you want to make

for encoding your code editor is your

canvas with your keyboard and fingers as

the palette and the paintbrush as you

type along you fill that painting up and

when you're finally finished that end

product

you get the satisfaction of making an

end product that you created with your

ingenuity

and that's what and that was the reason

I found coding so captivating as a

nine-year-old I couldn't tell you then

but programming was a form of

self-expression for me

it was something

think about it like an artist or a

painter or an author an author expresses

their thoughts and expresses themselves

onto their books and artists does so

with their paintings and artwork and a

programmer does the same with their code

lets people create and share their own

unique ideas and projects when you solve

a problem or create something unique you

did it in your unique you did it in your

own way with your way of thinking and

your way of implementing that solution

I'd like to end off with the con with

the causes of this why do we think about

programming like this

well although there are many factors I

boil down to two reasons the first is

pop culture

pop culture tends to stereotype

programmers as nerds and right here

that's uh High School Bill Gates and you

know he gives off those nerd Vibes he's

got the look he's got the glasses he's

got the hair he's got the um I don't

know the whole room of computers

and

and people tend to correlate nerds as

being geeky quirky and overly

intelligent compared to the average

person so people correlate programming

with being geeky boring and requiring a

high amount of intelligence but the

second and most important is the way

we're taught

the first picture above is a creative

like exploring mindset Let Yourself Go

free let yourself ask questions figure

it out on your own get your hands dirty

build something the second the bottom

picture the bottom two pictures are what

99 of coding tutorials will teach you

when you they make it look like you're

making progress but when they give you a

practice problem they're expecting one

solution from it

there you don't even get asked the

simple question of make something cool

like make a game that you want to make

they say solve a problem like make a

translator that translates this into

that or out of all the numbers in this

list

you're locked into this one path where

you're only allowed one solution to a

problem and you're not allowed to

explore anything yourself

and whenever I Implement those Solutions

they'd be in this really boring Black

Box every single time for a month I

don't want to look at this I want to

look at something like that or like this

this was made in Python the same

language I described as extremely boring

the difference is that they let their

creativity go on when they made this I

wasn't allowed to do that people don't

program to look at black boxes they

program to make something they get their

hands dirty just they want to push

something out

if we teach coding like this to the Next

Generation

what's going to happen

if we can teach people the code that's

not the problem the problem is the way

we're taught

if kids are going to learn coding

through this locked fixed mindset

there's no room to grow and they're

going to be using this tool a lot more

in the future to develop a lot more

creative systems

they won't innovate they won't because

they weren't taught to they don't they

only be taught to look for solutions

that to look for problems that only have

one simple solution

so anyone here the next time you're

thinking of coding

um if you don't like it maybe look at it

through the lenses of an artist rather

than a robot who knows maybe you too

could feel like a god

foreign

[Music]

[Applause]