We hear from a lot of “experts” these days. You’ll find them being interviewed by the media, promoting themselves to politicians, and admired in advertising. But the truth is, on any subject that changes, to be an expert is to be behind the curve. Perhaps you can be an expert on ancient Rome or the battle strategies of Napoleon. However, if you’re involved in today’s creative, media-driven culture, the best people never stop considering themselves always a beginner.
Always a Beginner
In his book “The Art of Creative Thinking,” Rod Judkins puts it this way:
“It’s important to avoid becoming an expert, specialist or authority. An expert constantly refers to past experience. Whatever has worked in the past, the expert repeats. An expert turns knowledge into a repetitive ritual. His or her expertise becomes a straitjacket. Furthermore, experts claim to have many years of experience. What they actually have is one year’s experience repeated many times. They see new methods as a threat to their expertise, and seek to stamp them out.”
