Skill vs Experience
When I decided to get another tattoo, I went to the tattoo parlour and asked who would be the best artist for my vision. Since I wanted to include colour, I was referred to Karl. I therefore assumed Karl specialized in colour tattoos.
At my appointment, Karl was expertly at work on my new ink on my hand. A colleague of his wandered by, complimenting him.
“Wow, Karl, you’re into colour now?”
Karl shrugged. “Yeah, well, once in a blue moon.”
Wait, what? Karl isn’t a colour expert? Then why was I referred to him? I had a moment of inner panic. Was he going to mess up my tattoo? This was permanent! What was I going to do if he did?
I said nothing, worried throughout the whole process.
When Karl was finished, he let go of my hand. “What do you think?”
It was gorgeous. The colours were perfect.
It was a good lesson about “experience”. We often think those that have done something many times are experts and therefore “better”. They may be. There’s a lot to be said for experience, but it was a reminder that experience is only onecriteria for success or mastery of an art. Though it turns out Karl rarely tattooed in colour, he still had the skills I needed.
Therefore, if you feel like you’re not an experienced writer, take heart. It’s not all about experience.