“Focus on ideas instead of tools (technology). Anyone can learn to use the tools, but it is the thinkers who really impact the culture in important ways. In the end the tools don’t offer anything interesting.”
Ran across that thought in a longer list of worthwhile points from Keri Smith in her “Secrets Shared” post. Couldn’t agree more.
One needs to know the tools, that’s a requirement for entry. But that’s not what makes an impact. This difference in focus is what distinguishes artists from technicians. Mastery of the tools is a mechanical process. The ideas toward which the tools are applied is the art. Online photo and filmmaking discussion is 95% about the tools, which is completely out of whack with their importance.
Learning the tools has a clearer and more obvious path to completion than developing ideas. Idea development is messier and more vulnerable to uncertainty and criticism. It’s riskier. But it’s where the game is played by the most accomplished auteurs.
Along those lines, we have the best communication tools in history. But are the ideas being communicated through these tools any better? Are they even as good as when communication was more limited?
