You aren’t a tool. You’re an artist. Stop letting your tools define what you create.
I meet too many artists, geeks, and storytellers that whine about their lack of quality gear and technology. “If I only had ________ my art would be so much better.” When you start thinking like that you turn your work into the product of a tool – not the product of an artist.
Have you noticed there are two different types of people obsessed with gear (you can call them gear heads). It’s the (1) newbie who feels like more gear will make him better. And it’s the (2) old artist who’s stopped learning his craft. He’s the guy that has stopped trying to be better.
But when you look at true experts, the true masters, they use a few pieces of gear and they keep making it better. Think of some of your favorite guitar players. They’re often the ones that stick with an amp and a guitar, yet somehow blow other guitarists out of the water. The newbies hope to achieve that sound with more pedals and better gear, while the master achieves his sound with art and skill.
You are not a tool. Your art is not a tool. Stop acting like it. Own the resources available to you and learn to master them. Stop drooling over the new gear. Drool over the chance to do things others could never achieve. It’s possible with whatever you have at hand.
To me, I think of pedals as more colors to expand my palette. I love having more because it gives me more sounds and atmospheres to create. But, I don’t believe they are the reason that makes a guitarist good. They just help me achieve the sound in my head.
P.S. I just woke up so this might be an irrelevant post. If so, please disregard.
🙂
This is a fantastic reminder – especially for those in the church world. In striving for excellence in ministry I always have this tendency to want the latest toy (fancy light, guitar, pedal board, soundboard, software, et al) that the Big Church online has.
God has called me and gifted me to do the ministry that I am given. Don’t let the toys get in the way of
A) the mission of our ministry (focusing on the toys instead of the mission)
B) mastering of the tools we have already.
To me, I think of pedals as more colors to expand my palette. I love having more because it gives me more sounds and atmospheres to create. But, I don’t believe they are the reason that makes a guitarist good. They just help me achieve the sound in my head.
P.S. I just woke up so this might be an irrelevant post. If so, please disregard.
🙂
This is a fantastic reminder – especially for those in the church world. In striving for excellence in ministry I always have this tendency to want the latest toy (fancy light, guitar, pedal board, soundboard, software, et al) that the Big Church online has.
God has called me and gifted me to do the ministry that I am given. Don’t let the toys get in the way of
A) the mission of our ministry (focusing on the toys instead of the mission)
B) mastering of the tools we have already.