I agree that software development is creative, I do think that's an important part of the process. I'm not convinced that every "10x developer" is solving software engineering problems on the same level at which Rembrandt painted or Bach composed.
It seems to me that painters and composers create art that is appreciated much more widely and over a much more varied audience than software engineers. Given that the inner workings of software are visible to a much smaller audience, isn't it likely that their skills are being over-rated?
There certainly exist developers who perform at the same level in their craft as Bach composed. Why wouldn't the positive tail of the distribution exist?
It seems to me that painters and composers create art that is appreciated much more widely and over a much more varied audience than software engineers. Given that the inner workings of software are visible to a much smaller audience, isn't it likely that their skills are being over-rated?