"To program, I need a blank canvas and an easel."

Felix Isensee has a calm demeanor, and despite his imposing height, he hardly stands out. That said, the software developer and architect at SPF Consulting isn’t necessarily shy—rather, he’s reserved and thoughtful. He’s a regular at our coworking space, zentroom, and always welcome. His eloquence, his unconventional career path, and his thirst for freedom and knowledge make him an excellent, fascinating, and inspiring conversation partner.

When “Minecraft,” visual art, and programming come together—and it all makes perfect sense—you’re talking to Felix. For him, his work—and his passion—isn’t simply a string of numbers and code. No, because these are just tools for creating a work from nothing, without having to follow any guidelines or be constrained by limits. Only his own creativity and imagination set the limits of his work.

You quickly realize that Felix, who’s from East Germany, doesn’t fit the stereotype of a programmer: he’s not a nerd who’s afraid of sunlight, wears comic-book T-shirts, swears all day, has a weird sense of humor, and can only deal with numbers instead of people. Although he does occasionally wear a comic-book T-shirt.

For as long as he can remember, he has felt the desire to be creative and to express himself freely. However, he couldn’t get into traditional artistic mediums, so he began teaching himself how to program. Later, he took courses at the university, began his studies, and made ends meet as a freelance programmer until he successfully transitioned into the professional world as a career changer. This experience sparked the fascination that still accompanies and drives him today.
It often happens that, after a full day of programming at a coworking space or at a client’s office, he comes home and works on a personal project to unwind. In doing so, he enjoys the seemingly limitless possibilities of the virtual world, acting and thinking far removed from established paths and structures, and breaking free from predetermined patterns, forms, and constraints.

 "I can be myselfhere"

The first step in creating a work of art is inspiration. He could work from home, but he prefers to be around people while coworking in the open space at zentroom. That’s because here he finds inspiration in interacting with people, observing life at zentroom, and noticing small changes or events. This helps him shape his work. When working from home in the same environment day in and day out, he hardly ever comes up with new ideas.

You often see him walking around with three different devices (not counting his cell phone) tucked under his arm. It’s not hard to picture a painter with a canvas, an easel, and a palette—an analogy that appeals to him:

"My various computers, tablets, and so on are my tools, each with different tasks and functions. On one, I mix the color on one, apply it on another, and yet another brings it all together.”

It’s not just the inspiration that brings him to the zentroom for coworking; he also enjoys the company. But above all, as he says, he can simply be himself here. No one tells him how to do things or how to behave. The need to be unrestricted runs like a common thread through his life. It’s great that Felix is at zentroom so often. With his humorous, modest, and philosophical nature, combined with his broad knowledge and skills, he’s an inspiring person to talk to. Naturally, this hasn’t gone unnoticed in the community, making him a valued and popular member.

Follow the urge, follow the thought, and let it go again

Felix’s life, however, does not take place exclusively in the virtual world. He has various interests that he enjoys pursuing and to which he devotes a lot of time. For example, playing the guitar or riding a bike are recurring themes. However, these are interests that come up occasionally and then fade away after a while. “These activities come and go at certain times. That’s why I wouldn’t call them hobbies.”   

Although he’s not a gadget geek, you could call technology his hobby. Technical development is racing ahead, while legislation is lagging behind. By the time a topic becomes a hotly debated issue in public discourse, the IT world has already moved far beyond it—covering topics like the metaverse, digital ethics, or deepfakes. He’s right in the thick of this world, which gives him a certain perspective on the current discourse. This makes him particularly engaging and valuable to interested (and concerned) laypeople at the zentroom coworking space—especially because Felix not only offers reassuring words on these controversial and complex topics but can also explain them in a way that’s easy for everyone to understand.

And so Felix manages to inspire zentroom, just as zentroom manages to inspire Felix.