Weekly Update #2 - Code and Life

This is the second "Weekly Update" article, a series I'm working on to track down the progress I'm making in my attempt to learn web development, to finish secondary projects in Blender and to improve overall at most of the things I do.

Hopefully, this one will be shorter than my first weekly update article and it won't have over 2000 words (Hi me from the past, this is me from the future - the article ended up having almost 3000 words, so good job on failing on your objective. Try harder next time!)

I'd also like to once again thank @fitinfun for all the support and for the idea for this series! Without her I wouldn't have started writing this type of article, so, thank you once again!

Now, let's start with the most important part: coding!

This week was both good and bad in terms of coding. Last week I finished 90% of the "Responsive Web Design Certification (300 hours)" section on FreeCodeCamp, and I finally got to the last part, which involves a few challenges.

Before I talk about them however, I'd like to mention something I realized while I started working on those challenges, and that's that if you ever want to learn how to code, even if you use a website like FreeCodeCamp or Codecademy, where you have an interactive interface that let's you code, you shouldn't rely on that to remember all the information you receive.

Last week I told you how I started to work on a really small and simple "side-project" that involves an HTML file containing most of the information I receive from FreeCodeCamp that I may forget. I decided to create that HTML page to make sure I have an easy and quick way to get the information I need without having to check FreeCodeCamp or ask silly questions on Stack Overflow.

This is how it looks now, with almost no CSS in it.

The thing about writing down the information you receive and even paying attention to what you learn, is that your brain can't properly memorize everything, which means that no matter how much you think you'll remember from what you're reading, the amount of information you'll remember will be quite small.

That's what I had to deal with this week, while working on the challenges I mentioned above. I forgot a lot more than I expected from all the lessons from FreeCodeCamp and I had to search through that HTML page I made to check out a bunch of information once again.

Luckily, even though I forgot some of those things, having to work on the challenges, having to code and actually using the things I learned helped me memorize everything a lot better.

It's a simple principle, but one that, when it comes to code, is really important - you learn a lot better by doing than simply reading.

So, if you're interested in learning how to code, always try to use the things you learn and to play with code. It will help you remember and better understand a lot more.

Anyway, back to the challenges - basically, at the end of each big section on FreeCodeCamp you get a few challenges that require you to use the things you learned to create something, this way proving that you actually paid attention.

The people who made the website know that you can't learn by reading and writing really simple code, so they... well, "challenge" you.

One thing I really like and dislike about that is that often the challenges are really... direct. They tell you what to create, what elements to include in your code, but nothing else. And that's bad because if you don't remember much from what you learned, you can quickly get stuck. But it's also good because it will force you to get on Google and search for the things you need, which is something you must learn how to do anyway if you want to know how to properly get your information on the Internet.

Anyway, the first challenge was pretty simple - it involved creating a simple "Tribute Page" about a personality you liked. It required a title, an image and some text. I was done with it fairly fast, because I didn't want to spend a lot of time working on this.

You can see it here: https://codepen.io/opreadorin1/full/exQWJg

The second challenge however was different. It involved the creation of a "survey form". If you don't know what an online survey looks like, just search "Google Survey" on Google Images and you'll get a general idea.

I had to make one myself, and to be honest, I could've done it quite fast. However, I didn't want to do that. I decided that if I want to learn how to properly code and design websites, I must actually put some effort into those challenges and try to make more than just something basic.

So, I tried to think of a good idea for what my "survey form" would look like, and when I had the design in mind, I started coding.

The problem was that I went from writing some really basic HTML and CSS code to create a tribute page, to having to write code that was a lot more complex in order to create the form I wanted. So, I got stuck. I mainly had problems with making the elements in the survey align the way I wanted them to.

The main issue was that I wanted the survey to be based on two columns - questions on the left, input-fields/buttons on the right. The problem was that I didn't know how to create those columns in such a way that all the questions/input-fields/buttons would be aligned properly, and I spent both Monday and Tuesday trying to use Flexbox ( a CSS technology) to do that. And I failed.

I couldn't do it because Flexbox, from what I've read, isn't the technology to use for column design. It's better use for row design. To give you a better idea of what that means, if you don't know anything about code, it's like you'd try to make some fried eggs, and instead of flipping them on the other side with a spatula or fork when one side is done, you'd try to do that with a plate. It's not impossible, but why the hell would you even try to do it that way?

So, after hours and hours of code, I finally realized what I was doing, and I gave up. I really wanted to use and understand Flexbox, so, in order to do that, I changed my design and started working on something a little different, which resulted in (I think) a decent looking survey that I made in around 3 hours.

Here it is: https://codepen.io/opreadorin1/full/dawEVm

It's nothing too fancy, it's quite simple, but it's there, and it works. By "works" I mean everything works except the "SEND" button, because I don't need any information, I just created the survey as a challenge, not to get actual responses.

I initially looked at the final result and considered it a waste of time. I technically wasted 3 days working on one single challenge. However, later I realized that the fact that I spent so much time trying to design what I wanted using Flexbox, led to me understanding quite well how to properly use that technology, which is really useful.

So, in the end, all that time wasn't wasted at all, because I learned how to use a technology that helps me make my design responsive. That means that if you'd look at the link above using your phone (or if you just resize your browser's window) the design will look good on that screen size too, at least on Chrome and Firefox.

And that's how I decided to spend a little more time on those challenges, even if I don't have to, because I will probably learn quite a lot. That's why I'm gonna spend a lot of time working on the next challenge as well, which involves the creation of a landing page.

I have quite a "complex" design in mind for my current HTML/CSS/JavaScript knowledge, so it may take a while to create it (or it may not, depending on how well I can code everything). I already made the first section of the page, which helped me remember how to create "hero sections", so that's that.

Overall, while I was busy working on something not that amazing, I learned quite a lot of things, both about how to code something simple, and how to use Flexbox to properly position elements on my page.

I'm gonna jump straight to the last section since I can talk about the other subjects I had in mind really quickly and finish this already too long update.

When it comes to Blender, I'm making progress, but it's slow. Part of the scene is already finished, as you may have seen in the previous update, but now I need to focus on small details. Thing is, creating small details is hard and it requires quite a lot of planning.

If you don't properly arrange those details, if you don't try to make everything look natural and if you don't think enough before creating a particular object and place it somewhere, then the scene will look unnatural, which means I have to spend quite a lot of time arranging things and thinking about what other small details I can add that would also make sense for the scene.

So, I don't really have a new update for you related to 3D, since my main focus right now is coding, but just know that progress is being made.

Besides all that I also need to invest some time into figuring out what to work on for Graphic River. For a very long time I've been focused on creating photo effects, but it's time for me to create something different. So, I'm gonna need to try a bunch of things that will require time, and see what I could create for that website.

Next, I'm gonna talk a little about something I've been thinking about this week, which involves both my happiness and my future.

For a very long time I've been told two main things: first, that I need a lot of money to live comfortably, to not worry about a bunch of things and to be able to buy whatever I want, and second, that money is evil, not something you should chase, and that you should mainly focus on what you like to do in life.

Those two contradictory ideas were present in my mind for quite a while. I wanted money, but I didn't. I wanted economic security, but I didn't want to quit doing what I liked. So, I decided to become a freelancer, and do what I liked while also making some money.

But in time I realized that it's really hard to make money doing something you like, especially when you lack money. Let me explain better - if you're a painter, with no money, and you love to paint, then you must paint for clients to get some income. But people don't buy any type of painting. They want specific things, and if those things don't align with what you like, then you're kinda stuck.

In order to make some money you must do what you don't want, but you also want to work on your own projects that you think are a lot better. You're gonna be stuck creating maybe mediocre work, something boring, in order to sustain yourself, while you want to do something completely different that may actually lead to your success.

The lack of money in your life could force you to do something you normally love, but in a way that makes you not like it any more.

I'm in the same position, kind of. I like everything I do right now. I like to write, I like to design, I like to code and I like to work in 3D. I'd like to do a lot of other things, but I don't have the time.

Sadly however, whenever I do one of the things I mentioned above, except 3D for now, I also have to think about what I invest my time in, and if I get anything out of it.

For example, because I don't have a lot of money, and because that's what I need right now, whenever I want to design something, or write something, I need to also think about money, and how I could make some. That's why for a very long time I've spent my time in Photoshop creating things that I could sell, instead of art I simply like.

Publishing daily came both from a desire to write and a desire to get more exposure and make some money.

Why? Because money is something I need, something that gets in my way when it comes to doing whatever I like to do.

Ironically, doing what I like most (writing whatever I want, design whatever I want) in my own way, without worrying about money, may be exactly what will lead me to success. But I can't focus on that yet, because the economic side of things is a priority right now.

For example, a few days ago I was thinking about what to create in Blender in the future, after I get a lot better, and I had a cool idea about a huge project that would require a lot of time and a lot of work. I'm talking about a year or so of work.

Sadly, I can't even consider working on that project as much as I'd like to, because of my lack of money. So, I'm stuck with this cool project in my mind that would probably get me a lot of attention, while also not being able to work on it because I need to focus on what gets me money.

All that made me realize that money shouldn't be seen as something bad, something that you can waste your life chasing. After all, everyone is wasting their life chasing money. If you're 80 years old and you've worked at different jobs to sustain yourself, then you wasted 8-12 hours a day working for maybe 60 years, which is, basically, half of your life.

The idea that you shouldn't chase money now seems quite silly to me. I think the opposite is the better option - you SHOULD chase money.

Making money is not something we're born knowing how to do. It's something we learn to do. But at some point in our life we're being told that money is bad and that we should focus more on having fun, and that's when we stop learning about how to make money, and we assume that it's not an important aspect of our life.

And then we realize we don't have enough money when we're 40, and that we need to work even more to sustain ourselves and even our family.

Making money is not a gift, or an objective that you must work towards for the rest of your life. It's a skill, and, the more you learn about a skill, the better you get at it. Sadly, society doesn't see it that way, and people are stuck with the idea that if you chase money, you're not living your life properly, and that you're just wasting your time.

So what I thought about this week is what I really want to have - money. And, most importantly, about what I'd buy with it - freedom.

I came to the conclusion that having money and not having to worry about anything would offer me the ability to write whatever I want, to design whatever I want and to overall create whatever I want without having to think about the economic side of things.

Basically, my happiness would come from my ability to create anything I want, and in order to do that, I must focus on making enough money to buy myself the freedom of not having to worry about anything else except art.

In conclusion, I need and want to make money, which will require two main things - first, learning HOW to make money and second, mastering a skill, which in my case will be web development.

If I learn how to use the money I make from coding websites and I also learn how to properly invest that money and make it work for me, then I may simply be able to "retire early" and focus on what makes me happy - art.

That's just something I thought about this week, something that kinda opened my eyes a little. The idea that money is evil and you shouldn't chase it is exactly what gets people into situations that requires them to work twice as much when they're 40 years old compared to when they were younger, just to sustain themselves. I'd rather focus on money now, and work as much as I can, since I'm young and I can do just that, and be completely free later in life, economically speaking.

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Well, apparently, writing about coding and life in general is what makes me end up with huge articles like this one. I'm pretty sure this update is a lot bigger than the last one.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this almost 3000 words article about, mostly, code and life.

I'll see you next week with another update!