Vibe coding has transformed my creative process, and I want to share my journey with you. As someone who has embraced this approach, I've used vibe coding to create over 200 open-source sketches on OpenProcessing—each one a testament to the power of merging AI with creative vision. I’ll take you through my personal experience and how vibe coding works and even share a fun, hands-on example that I crafted using languages like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

What Is Vibe Coding?

Vibe coding is an innovative, AI-dependent programming practice where a programmer describes a problem in plain language (like English) to a large language model (LLM) tuned for coding. Instead of getting bogged down in the minutiae of syntax, I explain what I want, and the AI generates the code. This high-level guidance allows even those with limited programming expertise to produce functional, visually stunning software. Andrej Karpathy introduced the concept in February 2025, and it has quickly become a buzzword in Silicon Valley and beyond.

At its core, vibe coding is about letting go of the traditional constraints of code writing. You provide the vision, and the AI does the heavy lifting—debugging and iterating until the desired outcome is achieved. Tools like Replit Agent, Cursor Composer, Bolt, Lovable, OpenProcessing and Cline have further accelerated this process, making it accessible to developers and hobbyists alike.

My Personal Experience with Vibe Coding

I remember the first time I stumbled upon vibe coding—it felt like discovering a secret door to a new world of creativity. With a few sentences, I could instruct an AI to generate entire sketches, freeing me from the tedious parts of coding. Over time, this approach has allowed me to experiment with diverse ideas and share my work with a global audience. Later, I introduced hardware with a Raspberry Pi Pico W connected to the LLM and even games.

I’ve documented my journey on several Building Creative Machines pages, where the stories and sketches have garnered thousands of views and sparked conversations among creative coders worldwide. The feedback has been overwhelming, proving that vibe coding isn’t just a trend—it’s a revolution in how we approach art and technology. Our about-to-release book offers a deep view of this.

A Hands-On Example: The Blue Star Sketch

Let me share a particularly simple example—a dynamic sketch featuring a blue star with 16 vertices rotating to the right on a lush green background, with scintillant lights adding a touch of magic.

Prompt using GPT o1:

Prompt GPT o1

Build a p5.js javascripto-only file for OpenProcessing without external files, to visualize a dynamic sketch featuring a blue star with 16 vertices, rotating to the right on a lush green background, with scintillant lights adding a touch of magic. It should work on any screen

Here’s the code that GPT o1 generated using vibe coding:

let angle = 0;         
let sparkleCount = 150; 
let sparkles = [];      

function setup() {
  createCanvas(windowWidth, windowHeight);
  for (let i = 0; i < sparkleCount; i++) {
    sparkles.push({
      x: random(width),
      y: random(height),
      size: random(3, 10)
    });
  }
}

function draw() {
  background(0, 255, 0); // Fundo verde (R=0, G=255, B=0)


  noStroke();
  for (let i = 0; i < sparkles.length; i++) {
    let s = sparkles[i];
  
    fill(255, 255, 255, random(50, 255));
    circle(s.x, s.y, s.size);
  }


  push();
  translate(width / 2, height / 2);
  rotate(angle);

  angle += 0.01;
  

  fill(0, 0, 255); // Azul
  stroke(0, 0, 128); // Traço azul-escuro para dar mais contraste
  strokeWeight(2);
  beginShape();
  let points = 16;
  let outerRadius = min(width, height) * 0.2; // Ajusta ao tamanho da tela
  let innerRadius = outerRadius * 0.4;
  for (let i = 0; i < points; i++) {
    let angleStep = TWO_PI / points;
    
    let x1 = cos(i * angleStep) * outerRadius;
    let y1 = sin(i * angleStep) * outerRadius;
    vertex(x1, y1);
  
    let x2 = cos(i * angleStep + angleStep / 2) * innerRadius;
    let y2 = sin(i * angleStep + angleStep / 2) * innerRadius;
    vertex(x2, y2);
  }
  endShape(CLOSE);
  pop();
}

function windowResized() {
  resizeCanvas(windowWidth, windowHeight);
}

Here is the final result and a snapshot:

This code snippet is a perfect example of how vibe coding empowers creativity. Instead of worrying about every tiny detail, I provided the AI with a vision—now watch as the blue star elegantly rotates against a vibrant green canvas, with twinkling lights enhancing the spectacle.

The Impact of Vibe Coding on My Creative Process

Before vibe coding, creating detailed, interactive sketches was a painstaking process. Every line of code required precision, and debugging was a constant challenge. However, vibe coding has allowed me to focus on my creative ideas rather than the technicalities of implementation. Here are some key benefits I’ve experienced:

Rapid Prototyping: I can quickly test new ideas without getting stuck on syntax or debugging errors.
Enhanced Creativity: With AI handling the heavy lifting, I have more time to explore artistic concepts and visual narratives.
Accessibility: Vibe coding lowers the barrier to entry, making creative coding more accessible to a broader audience—even those without formal training (my case!).

Of course, like any technology, vibe coding isn’t without its challenges. The reliance on AI-generated code means I sometimes (a lot of times…) accept code without fully understanding every detail, which can lead to hidden bugs or unexpected behaviours. However, this trade-off is part of the learning curve, and it’s a risk I’ve found well worth taking for the creative freedom it offers.

I firmly believe that vibe coding is more than just a fad—it's a paradigm shift in how we approach programming and creativity. The blend of human intuition with AI’s computational power has opened new avenues for art, design, and everyday problem-solving. As more creators and developers share their experiences on platforms like Substack, Medium or OpenProcessing, the community continues to grow, driving innovation and collaboration in unprecedented ways.

While some industry professionals have raised concerns about AI-generated code's long-term maintainability and reliability, I see these challenges as opportunities for further refinement and improvement. With robust debugging practices and thorough code reviews, I’m confident that vibe coding will evolve to meet the highest software quality and security standards.

I’ve witnessed firsthand how AI can revolutionise creative coding. Whether you’re an experienced developer or someone curious about entering the world of programming, vibe coding offers a unique, accessible, and fascinating path to creativity.

I hope my experiences inspire you to embrace the vibes, experiment fearlessly, and perhaps even create something magical.

Explore & Play

Building Creative Machines

My Journey Through Vibe Coding