Meet CodeLand Keynote Speaker Anna Lytical

This interview is part of a series with our CodeLand 2021 keynote speakers. Get to know them a bit better before hearing their talks!

We hope you enjoy this series and we can't wait to see you at CodeLand 2021 — September 23-24th, all-remote right here on CodeNewbie Community. Create an account if you don't have one already!

Get to know Anna Lytical...

Pronouns: Any
Based in: New York, New York
Title, Organization: Coding drag educator by night, developer relations engineer at Google by day.
CodeLand Keynote: "Coding's a Drag"
Fun fact: Anna is very active on TikTok and loves to create fun and educational content that makes newer developers feel supported and included in technology.

Q: Why are you excited to speak at CodeLand 2021?

Anna: I had a fabulous time taking over the CodeNewbie Twitter chat recently and getting to engage with this community, so I was thrilled to be a part of this event. Right now, I'm pursuing a new direction with my content, so it's great to hear what people love and what they want more of — the CodeNewbie community is a perfect audience to connect with over this!

Q: What role did community play in the early days of your software development journey?

Anna: I struggled to find a coding community that I connected with (and I still struggle with this TBH) but I've got some amazing co-workers and friends in tech that really make me feel like I belong, which is so important. I love getting to meet people to talk with about tech AND things outside of tech – drag, theater, sewing, Real Housewives! I never felt like I fit into the traditional developer mold, but I also never felt like I fit into other groups either. Making these connections on so many levels benefits all of us because we can learn new tech from each other, but also enjoy each other as people.

Q: What’s one thing you’d tell yourself on the first day of your software development journey if you could go back in time?

Anna: Ask your teachers for the bigger picture of how to get from their examples or assignments to a real application or website or product. I spent so many years not understanding the big picture and that definitely limited my potential for a while

Q: When you’re not writing code, what’s your favorite thing to do?

Anna: I love crafting which is one of the reasons I love drag: styling wigs, making nails, and sewing are all part of what I love about doing this! I also love reality TV — my boyfriend and I have made it through 35 seasons of Survivor through this year of the pandemic! I don't know where all the time goes, but these things make me happy!

Q: Who or what is a source of inspiration for you in your career?

Anna: I'm always looking for inspiration and love looking in new places for it. Lately, Iris Van Herpen has been an inspiration. She's a fashion designer that pushes clothing to new extremes with technology like 3D printing and laser cutting and combines it with haute couture techniques. Her work is a visual reminder of what can be achieved when we break down the barriers of learning and using technology.

"I struggled to find a coding community that I connected with [...] but I've got some amazing co-workers and friends in tech that really make me feel like I belong, which is so important."

- Anna Lytical

You can follow Anna Lytical right here on CodeNewbie Community (@theannalytical) and on Twitter (@theannalytical ).

Register for CodeLand 2021 to hear Anna's keynote talk: "Coding's a Drag"

>> https://codelandconf.com