[mactavish88]

That's really interesting, because I share a similar story. I too started coding at 11, but became totally disenchanted with it around the age of 23. I actually went off to start a graphic design/web development company with a friend, where I ended up doing most of the graphic design. I did some coding too, but the design work was my primary focus.

Went on to do some business/psychology studies, trying for years to find a way out of coding that would pay the bills (since that's all anyone would pay me to do). Eventually I started loathing the coding work. I did it, every day, but I loathed it. I had to occupy a lot of my after-hours time with reading and watching interesting videos completely unrelated to software development - especially focusing on psychology and philosophy.

Then, towards my early 30s, in a matter of weeks I had this sudden change of heart. No particular reason that I can pinpoint. I just started loving coding again. I loved being able to make things that made other people's lives better (especially by way of saving them time so they could get to do the really interesting things they wanted to do in life).

I have no idea what drives people's inner sense of "interest" (i.e. what interests people, piques their curiosity and motivates them). It seems pretty far outside of my own control, for me at least. It seems to take a lot of wisdom, introspection, radical honesty and internal negotiation to balance my interests with what genuinely works for me at the time.