Method is the beginning, not the destination

“You have done much to help the floundering student if you start him off with a good recipe.” -William Mortensen 

Artists have a fierce resistance to method. As much as is possible they want their art, craft and expression to come from themselves. There is nothing wrong with this passion, though it does cut one off from thousands of years worth of trial and error.

The will to be free and independent is something commendable, but it is useful to connect that passion to the cannon of artistic knowledge and experience. That connection doesn’t mean you accept any technique, but that you engage with it, even oppose it. Progress comes as much from refutation as it does from acceptance. 

Soi Transnational treats method as a medium. We share those methods to encourage people to produce more creative work. During the creation of that work we hope others will improve upon and share methods that others can use. 

Remember, method is a way to start, not a destination in itself. Never let method turn into dogma, but threat it as a way to start. Method should always be helpful, if it is not discard it.