As I said, how I do this is to bring in the code for my hobby projects.

> The artist's history of work itself is how they get more work; the programmer's isn't.

It's just a recommended strategy, not a requirement. In general, it's a great idea to identify a customer's pain points and reduce them. When you're looking for a job, the companies you're talking to are the customers. The easier you make things for the interviewer, the more you can reduce their pain points, the better your chances for the position.