I've often described my motivation for building software to others using imagery: I like to go find a secluded beach, build a large, magnificent sand castle, and then walk away. Will anyone notice? Probably not. Will the waves eventually destroy it? Yep. Did I still get immense satisfaction? Absolutely.
The way that I create software is more akin to a hobbyist woodworker: I encounter something which doesn't exist exactly as I want it yet (or I'm aware of any else) and I build it for myself. Extremely adhoc and single use but I get extreme joy from being surrounded by my little creations.
Reminded me of the Beach Artist, Jon Foreman. There's a news article on YouTube about the art he created on my hometown beach here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEaJZF1z6j4
