A year ago, I never imagined I would be coding every day, let alone enrolled in a software engineering program. As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted a creative career. I wanted to walk the fine line between artist, builder, and storyteller. Naturally I was drawn to film, thinking I was destined to become a director. Early in my career, however, I discovered that I enjoyed creating through camera movement and lighting more than I enjoyed directing actors. This was the first of several career pivots I made within film. I do not regret my decade-long journey in film, and I feel proud of all that I accomplished, but until recently I have felt lost. Then I discovered the possibilities of programming.
I can’t remember how I stumbled upon coding, but I do recall that it was my girlfriend who recommended a coding bootcamp to me. I was already drawn to the technical side of filmmaking, and I have always had a passion for creativity and problem solving, so coding seemed like a great fit. After visiting several coding bootcamps, I decided that Flatiron was the right fit for me and would allow me to code while maintaining a full-time job.
I was initially nervous, because I wasn’t 100% sure that programming would be the most rewarding skill for me. I dived right into the bootcamp prep program and really started having fun with coding. There were definitely highs and lows, but there was something special about programming that drew me in deeper. I found a technical and creative outlet that I believe will build into a fruitful career. Coding has all the elements I enjoyed about filmmaking, with endless career possibilities. I have even started using the building blocks of programming to start creating simple video games, which has become a fun and rewarding challenge in my free time. I still get to use my storytelling skills, combining them with technical/problem solving skills. I’ve only started my coding journey, but I’m very excited to see where it will take me.