Beginners can take more risks than experts
— they start with zero, so there’s nothing to
lose. Experts worry that if they’re experts in
one thing, they’ll need to be experts in other
things, otherwise their expertise could be
questioned. For experts a lot of things are easy
because they’ve done them so many times.
Experts become impatient (with themselves
and with others); beginners are patient and
brave, because they don’t yet know it will
become easy. Experts have pride; beginners
can’t deceive themselves so easily.
Juan Leguizamon
Some of the most talented and prolific
people I know have dozens of interests and
Now is a fantastic time to start out making
things. With 3D printers, laser cutters, open
source hardware, TechShops, hackerspaces,
and Maker Faires there’s never been a better
time. I’m sure every generation says that, but
I really do think it’s true. Starting out now,
you get to explore more, faster, cheaper, and
with more people. This is all new stuff too —
it’s hard for anyone to be an expert yet. This
phenomenon happened with homebrew computers, and it happened with the web. In the
maker world, we’re all still figuring a lot of this
out. There’s still plenty of time before we’re
all experts.
hobbies. When I ask them about this, the
response is usually something like, “I love to
learn.” I think new discoveries and the joys of
learning are the crux of this beginner thing
I’ve been thinking about. Sure, when you’ve
mastered something it’s valuable, but then
part of your journey is over — you’ve arrived,
and the trick is to find something you’ll always
have a sense of wonder about. It’s possible
to be an expert but still retain the mind of a
beginner. It’s hard, but the best experts can
do it. In making things, in art, science, engineering, you can always be a beginner about
something you’re doing — the fields are too
vast to know it all. ;
Share your ideas, and read the full version
of this column, at makezine.com/go/zenmaking.
Phillip Torrone is an editor-at-large of MAKE and creative
director at Adafruit Industries, an open source hardware and
electronic kit company based in New York City.
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