Coding for Artists
By Betsy Lam
Hi I’m Betsy, a full-stack web developer at Threadless — an online community of artists and an e-commerce website based in Chicago, Illinois.
When I was in high school and college, a career in tech was not at all on my radar. To me, computers were just fancy word processors. I loved math, writing, science and art — and I wished there was some kind of magical major which incorporated all of my interests. I compromised by earning bachelor degrees in Fine Arts (with an emphasis in Painting) and Journalism, while taking math courses (alongside Actuarial Science majors) for fun.
I fell into web development by accident while working toward a Masters in Fine Arts. I wanted to publish an online art portfolio, so I learned how to build a website from scratch (this was before Squarespace and Wix). It was such a fun challenge and satisfying process. I was hooked and eventually, I honed the skills to land my first gig as a web developer!
“For me, every day on the job is different, and serves up a unique blend of visual and abstract problem-solving.”
More than ten years and several companies later, I still love web development. It’s constantly evolving: there is always an opportunity to learn fresh techniques and new languages — and there is an ever-growing plethora of contexts in which our skills can be applied. For me, every day on the job is different, and serves up a unique blend of visual and abstract problem-solving.
At Threadless, I work on our Artist Shops platform. We provide “software as a service” to help hundreds of thousands of artists create and sell t-shirts and other products to millions of people. I collaborate with smart, enthusiastic, creative people on a product I care about.
Being a web developer also offers an awesome work-life balance: when I’m not on the computer, I love making art, writing, rock climbing and being a mama.
“We need more diversity — and not just for the sake of workplace dynamics! Diversity will inform the products we build, how we build them, and our users’ experiences with them.”
P.S. I strongly encourage girls and women, and people of color, to pursue careers in web development. We need more diversity — and not just for the sake of workplace dynamics! Diversity will inform the products we build, how we build them, and our users’ experiences with them. A deeper variety of voices, experiences & approaches will make our (online) world a better place.
What tools and programming languages do I use?
- Javascript
- Python (+Django)
- CSS (+Sass)
- HTML
Follow Betsy on Instagram (@magicalthinklet) and check out her personal website at betsylam.com.
