Knowing Too Much

"There are hazards in knowing too much about engineering or technology. It can limit the imagination."

--John Berkey
--The Art of John Berkey

I am a collector of quotations - especially inspiring ones. I imagine many people are but I like to collect quotes that mean something to me on an artistic level so from time-to-time I will post a quote that I enjoy and occasionally write a few words about what it means to me.

This first quote is by the late science and science fiction artist John Berkey. He is one of my favorite artists for the simple reason that his imagery is fantastic! Not just good - I mean beyond belief. I was drawn to his art primarily for the spacecraft but have come to appreciate his broader body of work.

At first glance Berkey's art seems atmospheric and mechanical but closer inspection reveals his ability to take small, seemingly random brush strokes and coordinate them into a coherent vision of some amazing future (or past?).

In the quote, Berkey makes the point that sometimes knowing too much about your subject can stifle creativity. I have found this to be true in the sense that my desire to render something in a realistic way can sometimes lead me to discard ideas that seem too outlandish. I also err in the opposite way and find the initial work too derivative of popular culture.

I find it is important to remind myself that NO ONE KNOWS WHAT A STARSHIP LOOKS LIKE! They don't exist!

How could I possibly get it wrong, then?