Programming is not entertainment, but a way to enlarge your brain to solve a difficult problem.
Find a problem that you care about (like you did with the quadratic formula in high school) and program a machine to solve it. Maybe, you’ll be magically 19 again
How did it feel where you wrote that program on your own initiative? If it felt great, you already have an answer
It's basically art. Art of all types has internal technical challenges: specific problems to solve which are even testable. E.g. how do I get this paint to dry slower to have more working time for the intended style; how do I get these two materials to adhere; what fingering can I use to play this passage fluidly; ...
My point in this thread is that some people might be motivated into programming if they stop thinking they have to solve some external problem, other than the vague requirement of making something beautiful or entertaining.