Art
matters to me. This is not that I am good at painting; actually I am
not. For me, art is the pursuit of beauty by means of self-expression.
Writing novels is art, and great lyrics fit in here — Bob Dylan has
just won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Composing music is art.
Computer programming is also art. Mathematics is very definitely art.
These share some characteristics in common. They all require solid
imagination, solid skills to implement, and the perseverance and
ebullience to push for perfection. Too, as a bonus, the resulting
creations may deeply move us, as well as all subsequent progeny.
When
I ran my business at a software startup in the online advertising
industry, I always asked myself — “Is it artistic enough?” This might
sound ludicrous and words such as unique, ethical, or honest could
replace “artistic,” but I prefer that word because art is basically
innate and not forced on us from the outside. In daily practice, I
showed respect to all of our employees since they were the artisans
producing our “beautiful” software products. I created internal
workshops and hackathons, which elevated the employees’ morale and
creativity. We tried to “move” both advertisers and Internet users
rather than exploiting them so that our business could be sustainable.
We also kept our source code well organized for future maintainers who
might see it one year later.
Simplicity
and purity are key factors, as I see it, for art to be art. I abhor
exaggeration, plagiarism, and unproductive criticisms. I believe that
God is indeed in the details. My work must be done thoroughly,
carefully, and with love. Every aspect of my creations matter because I
am an artist.
