> But you know what is really fun? Creating something from scratch. Sculpting it. Refactoring it. Trying things. Cutting things. Learning things. Exploring new ideas. All of the stuff that typically doesn't fit well when money is involved.

All my programming happens in the context of art (computer music and media art). I do all the things you describe while (indirectly) earning money with it. If you build something that you deeply enjoy, money won't take that joy away. I guess it's just hard to find this kind of satisfaction in typical corporate jobs where you're just a replacable wheel in the machine and your code will be replaced in a few years anyway.