New methods

It’s tempting to think that new ways of making art have made the old ways obsolete.

Why paint a portrait if I can take a photograph?
Why draw a landscape if DALL·E 2 can generate one for me?
Why write a poem if ChatGPT can write one instead?
Why animate using stop motion if I can use software tools and simulators?

Well, what’s new doesn’t necessarily supplant what’s old. As new methods gain popularity, older forms don’t become irrelevant. Rather, they take on new meaning and context.

As artists, we choose the medium that fits the message.

We don’t make art because “this is the only way it can be done.” We make art to bring to the world a specific voice in a specific way.

And for artists and makers, the output is only one part of a bigger story. One that involves curiosity, rigor, process, and discovery.

The methods indeed matter.

As creators, we get to choose, and we often make our choices with intention.