Yeah, there's nothing wrong with seeking people who work in their passion. I know some people who work their day job making video games. You know what they do when they get home and spend their free time on? They make video games. Some people just live for shit man. Nothing wrong with a job being just a job but there's nothing wrong with making it more than that as well.

In my experience self teaching is really the only way to learn programming. Practice and experience offer more than any degree ever could.

Watch out for those pajeets though they are sending IT into the shitter