Skip to content

I used to work at NASA in Virginia. It was nothing…

“I used to work at NASA in Virginia. It was nothing glamorous; I was just tasked with making code compile for obscure projects, and I wasn't very good at it. Now I spend most of my time drawing pictures and looking at funny things on the Internet, which in retrospect is largely what I did at my old…” quote by Randall Munroe
Download Open image
“I used to work at NASA in Virginia. It was nothing glamorous; I was just tasked with making code compile for obscure projects, and I wasn't very good at it. Now I spend most of my time drawing pictures and looking at funny things on the Internet, which in retrospect is largely what I did at my old job, too.”

Randall Munroe

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Even mundane coding tasks can be reframed as creative work; the line between technical and artistic is blurry.

In simple terms: Coding can be creative, like drawing.

Key Takeaway

Find creativity in routine tasks.

Themes

creativity career tech humor self‑reflection

Mood

playful reflective

Type

humorous philosophical

When to use this quote

  • software development
  • personal growth
  • creative problem solving

Key Concepts

software engineering artistic expression career evolution

Questions to Reflect On

  • What small changes make routine work feel more creative?
  • How does humor affect job satisfaction?
A Different Perspective

Creative framing may overlook systemic workplace issues.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Randall Munroe

Explore all 105 Randall Munroe quotes

More Code quotes

Browse all 1,662 Code quotes