There’s something that just feels good when you start to write a nice chunk of code. The entire process sets me into a flow state. Even with little bits of code, there’s some sort of clarity—a calm that comes over me when I look down the path at some new objective or problem to solve. I get way even when using AI. Just a little bit, like having it lay the groundwork for a class or something and then I use my actual brain to write the implementation details.
Maybe it’s flow, or peace, or some other thing. I love getting a new problem to solve with code and being able to take my time to plan out a solution.
For example, what got me to write this post was a simple EmailService provider. The base is as boilerplate of a C# service as you can get. A class and interface that will be injected into each controller to facilitate user events and actions that need to trigger emails. This code has probably been written a million times throughout the years - heck I've probably written it a whole bunch as well. However, each implementation is different and that is where this feeling hit me. It was when I was writing the custom implemenation details that got me to stop and write this blog post. Reading the requirements got my brain going, and it all just started flowing. Clean, clear code. No pressure—just writing this class, implementing XYZ features, and trying to make it as efficient and clean as I can.
I suppose this is what we all refer to as flow. It’s good. We all need flow in our daily lives. Although, it's ironic (am I using that right?) that I stopped my flow state to write a post about said flow state. Now I need to get back to it.