All programmers ( code carpenters, developers, software engineers, or what ever you like to go by) should constantly be making things, on the side, for free.
Why would anyone do something for free, when they could get paid for it ? Well what if I said that it could lead to more money down the line ? Would you do it ? And if you did do it, would you only do it for the money ?
Now if you became something for purely the purposes of making money, then …. well …. you are probably gonna have a pretty unfulfilling life, full of big houses, and fancy cars … maybe. However I think people should do things because it satisfies them. Doing something that satisfies you feeds you “soul” .
As a code carpenter I make things for a living, that help people out. And in general I like making things in any medium. So I frequently go out of my way to make alot of things, that kind of sort of have a purpose. By doing this I get a better understanding of different things, and develop experiences that will help me build things in the future.