[gnode]

Personally, I feel like if I didn't develop software outside of work, I would start to see software development as work, rather than a skill, just like being able to write or play a musical instrument.

I think, for your own sake, if you're skilled at something, you should try to use that skill on your own terms. Many arduous professions are the practise of enjoyable skills on someone else's terms (be it an employer or a market): driving, cooking, gardening, etc.