The Indispensable Importance of Experience
…So a patron of the arts walks into Picasso’s studio and requests a painting of a chicken. The patron and the master artist come to an agreement and the patron leaves. A month later, on the agreed date of completion, the patron returns only to find that the painting hasn’t even been started. Concerned, the patron asks the artist why the painting isn’t finished, at which point Picasso picks up a brush, dips it into the paints on his palette and quickly but intentionally brushes several strokes onto a blank canvas that form the image of a chicken. Picasso proudly hands the painting to the bewildered patron. As the expression on the patron’s face turns from surprise to disappointment, Picasso opens a door to a back room and invites the patron in. Once inside the room the patron finds himself amongst live chickens, dead chickens, whole chickens, parts of chickens, chicken legs hanging from the ceiling, chicken feet dissected on the countertop, every practical dissection and measurement of a chicken revealed before the patrons eyes. Picasso folds his arms and focuses on the painting with admiration. The patron has his epiphany and with a renewed sense of confidence he leaves with his painting and new perspective on the creation of art.
We have no idea if this story is true. If there was an actual event that bears any resemblance to this story, I’m sure we’ve butchered it. But true or not, we tell this story all the time. We tell it to colleagues, to friends and even to clients because it illustrates something understated yet fundamental about being a professional. After a certain amount of time working at whatever it is that you do, you become an expert at it. That time threshold varies between the individual, the profession and the circumstances, naturally. Malcolm Gladwell’s theory is that it takes 10,000 hours of doing something to become an expert at it. That figure can be applied and distributed in a number of different ways but the fact is this: those individuals who dedicate such time to an interest become experts at it. While being an expert doesn’t always mean that you’re right, or better, it does develop a significant distinction that the non-experts don’t have. Professionals have an immense “back-room” of experience that they are drawing from on even the simplest of actions. As architects, for instance, when we put pen to paper to draw a roof line we’ve thought through that roofline hundreds, maybe even thousands of times already. That simple line is embedded with a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge.
The point of today’s post is two fold. If you’re working toward that “ten thousand hours”, know that focusing on the day-to-day experience is imperative. Don’t just go through the rounds to fulfill the requirements. What you are doing each hour of each day (even if it’s just drafting) will be the experience you rely on in the not so distant future. It is what will make you an expert. Enjoy it, savor it, master it. If you’ve got that “ten thousand hours” under your belt already, operate with mastery and confidence. This is not to say that all of us with the 10k experience shouldn’t be questioned and criticized, it’s just that we’ve drawn that roof line 150 times, we’ve got our back room of chickens. Paint that chicken accordingly.
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You’re paying for the dead chickens - Tl81.net — June 23, 2011 @ 10:31 am
By Preston, May 26, 2009 @ 3:53 pm
I like your narrative here … it’s a strong case for hiring the experienced professional.
But after reading Outliers, I thought about the 10,000 hours notion from a different angle. What do you do if you’re trying to make a living, but you haven’t made it to 10,000 hours yet? How do you not screw up while getting there? How do you get the 10,000 with minimal damage (as opposed to the expert that won’t make the same mistake)?
By lou m., May 26, 2009 @ 6:15 pm
Similar tale from the world of design. Paula Scher, famed designer from Pentagram tells a story. She’s sitting at a table with clients from Citibank. They’ve just merged with Travelers insurance. While in the hour meeting she essentially sketches out the future logo of Citibank. A week later she sets up a meeting with the client and shows them the logo. They like it but wonder where the hundreds of concepts are. She says you are not just hiring me to do the logo you are hiring me for all the logos i’ve ever done. I think this tells a strong story similar to 10,000 hours. In all facets of design time is the best weapon. Some of the top architects hit their stride in their 40′s, 50′s, even 60′s. In graphic design you see a lot of trends but the consistent designers are those that keep at it time after time. I always use this story with my clients reminding them that what they are paying for is not just the job they have for me to do but every job I’ve ever done. It’s called experience and its what separates the good from the very good.
By mike, May 26, 2009 @ 6:29 pm
the second part of your posts raises a good point – drawing should have meaning, so thinking about what you are drawing goes a long way (as opposed to just snapping lines)
also, “when we put pen to paper to draw a roof line we’ve thought through that roofline hundreds, maybe even thousands of times already”
i hope you don’t mean on the same project, but rather spread out over several years of projects…
By Build LLC, May 26, 2009 @ 6:47 pm
@ Preston – I propose that it is precisely those “screw-ups” that give you the most valuable of experience. Not that screwing up is ever satisfying or anticipated, but without the errors I’d be very dubious of anyone’s 10,000 mile marker. The knowledge gained from our mistakes has been (and still is) significantly higher than the knowledge gained from our successes.
By Build LLC, May 26, 2009 @ 6:54 pm
@ Lou – that’s a good example and it also conveys some ideas about compensation. Younger (less experienced) professionals are typically less expensive – but a greater margin of error should be expected. With more experienced professionals the inverse should be true. Unless you’re a wall street banker – in which case none of that applies.
By Build LLC, May 26, 2009 @ 6:57 pm
@ Mike – exactly, we’re referring to the sum of experience on numerous projects at numerous firms, as architects, structural engineers and ditch diggers.
By Samuel, May 27, 2009 @ 6:40 am
I believe it was Maya Angelou who said “I spend 8 hours of effort to make that written page look effortless.”
The mastery you’re talking about here has to do less with making mistakes and more about getting the cleanest end result (with, as you’ve pointed out, the best use of energy spent). True mastery is when something looks easy to onlookers.
By Adam Crain, May 27, 2009 @ 1:23 pm
well put. I’ve heard of Gladwell’s theory before also, this was a great way to illustrate it.
By James Finnie, May 6, 2010 @ 12:40 pm
I love these tales, its what makes us strive to be even better and acts as an inspiration. In the 1940′s the famous engineer Ove Arup was asked by a client to design a spiral staircase without a central column, unheard of at the time. Ove said it couldn’t be done, the Client said he had seen it before. Ove went away and returned proudly having accomplished the task. As Ove left the presentation the client said he had gone back to see this stair without a column and he had been mistaken, it did have a column.
By chris lewis, September 14, 2010 @ 4:58 pm
i have well over 10,000 hrs in. it will be a long time before i refer to myself as an expert. always learning, always making mistakes, and always doing what it takes to make them right.
By Justin Moeller, November 20, 2010 @ 9:57 pm
I LOVE this post. This is the thought process which gets me through everyday as a civil engineering drafter. Every line I draw and every lot that I grade is just another chapter in my personal worker’s handbook. Thanks for the post
By Build LLC, November 21, 2010 @ 7:47 pm
@ Justin -glad you enjoyed it. Here’s to lines and grades. And chickens.