Hello! I’m AJ. I am a Front-End Developer from Los Angeles and the founder of the Lucid Coder website. I have always been fascinated by lucid dreams and coding. Lucid dreams are very vivid and feel very real. Coding is very rewarding because all of your hard work pays off when you’ve built something extraordinary. Putting the two together, I came up with the term “Lucid Coder.” I imagine its definition would mean someone who writes code so well that anyone who sees it would understand it. It is someone whose code is flawless and works beautifully.
Lucid Coder
noun
: a person who writes code that is clear and easy to understand.
My road to becoming a developer was not an easy one. I want to share my story with you and hope you get a better idea of who I am.
My Journey to Becoming a Front-End Developer
Growing up, I would draw silly comic strips and create stop motion animation using the family camcorder. My dream was to do 3D animation working for a big animation studio like Pixar or DreamWorks. In 2006, I graduated college with a Bachelor of Science in Animation.
The Animation program I completed covered all aspects of design. While 3D modeling and animation were the program’s primary focus, I also learned a little about web design and print media. This broad range of experience helped me obtain a job as an in-house Web Designer for a local camera store. I worked there for three years and quickly grew a passion for web design.
In 2007, I decided I needed a change of scenery. Having lived in Los Angeles my whole life, I wanted to experience life away from home. Las Vegas was a booming city, so I saw it as the best place to move to. I found a job there working full-time as a Graphic Designer for a company that provided several services to car dealerships.
My job duties as a Graphic Designer involved crafting logos, print collateral, and interactive websites for car dealerships within the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and the UAE. I was quickly promoted to Senior Designer and then eventually to Art Director, where I led a team of 5 creative staff members.
I finally started feeling a little homesick in 2017. I did buy a house and made a few friends in Vegas, but it’s not a place I could ever call home. So I sold the house, packed my things, and moved back to Los Angeles.
So far, my web development experience only consisted of on-the-job training, Google searches, and lots of trial and error. So I decided to get some formal training and completed a Full Stack Coding Boot Camp at the UCLA Extension. This was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life.
Fast-forwarding now to the current time, I’ve found myself back at another company in the automotive industry. Except for this time, I’ve reached my goal of becoming a developer. The coding boot camp paired with my professional work experience made me a good candidate for the position.
I also run my own business, providing web development services to other companies. If you’ve stumbled upon the Lucid Coder website and are looking for a Web Developer for your own website, you can connect with me at www.PixelMotives.com.
My Mission Is to Help Coders of All Skill Levels
Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned developer, I want to help you in your web development journey and/or business. I know what it feels like to search endlessly for answers. I understand the frustration.
No one taught me how to run a business. I had to figure it out all on my own. I want to help you by sharing everything that I’ve learned, all the resources I’ve found, and providing some tips and tricks of my own.
My Goal Is to Help You in Your Coding Journey
If you learn even one thing from visiting my website, my mission will be accomplished. The coding world is constantly evolving, with technology always advancing. Sometimes it’s challenging to keep up. I hope that you discover something beneficial while visiting my website.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me here or e-mail me at aj@LucidCoder.dev. I can’t wait to see the kind of coder you become. Thanks for stopping by!
All the best,