When did my creativity leave?

Based on my archeological digging, I hypothesize that my creativity started to leave around 2002-2003. Up until then, I was designing some good stuff. Not all of it good, not all of it bad, but regardless which way the axe swung it was creative design.
Just look at some of my work, circa 1999 - 2002.
Looking at recent web sites (including this one) against past web sites, where has the flare gone? I’ve lost my flare! I am way below the minimum 15 pieces of flare.
Why did it leave? One word: programming
My leap from visual designer to technical programmer really dampened my creative output. It was a gradual loss of creative juice after I started making software. Before I really understood how to make software (and didn’t care how I made software), I was able to balance my design and programming. I was still more concerned with how the end product looked to how it functioned behind the scenes. Over time that changed.
As I got into managing rather complex software systems, I was focusing more on making it go, rather than how it looked. Novelty lied in the ability to do something, not in how well it was designed. I let the medium dictate what direction I would good. Not a good route to take.
Now a shift back the other direction is happening. The novelty of ability is gone and the demand for design is back. Thankfully, I can make things go behind the scenes without much effort. Sure, there is work to do and improvements to be made, but how the software handles data - I have decided - is taking a back seat. Good products (or web sites) are all design, nothing more - like a car, say a BMW.
All BMWs have an engine, four wheels, headlights, a horn, and all those other things that are responsible for making it “go” and frankly, the things that every car shares. So what separates the Beamer from a Honda? Design. Features? Yes, to a degree, but design more so - which is applied for comfort, features, safety, etc.
At one point I was making Beamers. Right now I’m making old Mitsubishi Eclipses, which look good but dated, and are known for being seen with three out of for hub caps. I want to get back to making stuff that looks good. I want to make Mini Coopers - small, effective, efficient, good looking, and scalable.