The best artists, designers and makers are explorers. They don’t rush to a conclusion but rather seek out opportunities and probe the possibilities that emerge from those opportunities.
It is interesting to note that recent research revealed experienced industry experts do more exploring, experimenting and testing than beginners. This cultivated curiosity and practice is needed to produce anything of quality. It is not only the cultivation of the exploratory mindset but the development and maintenance of the infrastructure or platform required to engage in that exploration. A biologist may need a lab outfitted with advanced technical equipment. An artist needs a studio, tools and materials. A designer might need a powerful computer with specialized software. An astronaut needs a spaceship. Exploration is time consuming and costly.
The process involves countless hours with no guarantee of a productive outcome. Yet civilizations are built on the discoveries and work of explorers — the risk takers. We often hear the stories of the successful explorers and their great contributions. However, we almost never hear about the countless failures that led nowhere. The acclaimed inventor Thomas Edison famously failed more than 1,000 times before he developed the lightbulb. The only reason we have this account is because he ultimately prevailed. Consider how many explorers remain unknown and toil every day in relative obscurity. It takes a certain type of individual to devote their life and bear the cost of probing the unknown — we should never take these individuals for granted.