Editor’s note: Besides tracking technological advancements and innovations, our author is a Juilliard-trained musical composer. He has created a musical piece titled “Infinity Paralysis” for you to enjoy while reading this column.
It often feels like everyone I meet in the Berkshires is working on some kind of creative project. Some are planting gardens. Others are quilting, crafting business plans, or building spreadsheets. Still others are immersed in the creative arts. One friend has written a play and is now seeking actors to participate in a reading. Others are composing orchestral works. Several are writing books. Two are visual artists, one working digitally and the other with brushes and canvas. Although his tools are traditional, his art is anything but conventional.
What’s striking is that nearly all these projects rely on tools that did not exist when we were born. The world has changed that much. We now live in an age of modeling and prototyping. People can simulate outcomes before committing to them. That is true whether they are designing a permaculture garden, outlining a memoir, or drafting a business pitch. It hardly matters where you start. What matters most is that you begin.
This is important because humanity has one consistent superpower: the ability to adapt and change. The world around us is evolving rapidly. Much of that change comes from our inventions and disruptions. In response, we must continue to evolve as well. Fortunately, we now have more powerful tools than ever to help us create, adapt, and reinvent.
For example, when I was a teenager, editing photographs meant locking yourself in a darkroom filled with chemicals, an enlarger, and trays of developer. The smell of stop bath was unforgettable. Today, a phone handles all of that better and faster. It acts as a mobile photo lab, video editing suite, and publishing platform all in one. It features multiple lenses and sensors, allowing you to zoom, crop, filter, shoot in low light, record video, and share your creation with the world in minutes. You no longer need a room full of gear. You need vision and intention.
Musicians have seen the same shift. In the past, you had to attend a live performance to hear music. Now, most music is recorded and streamed. The listening experience may miss some of the dynamic range, but the reach and convenience are undeniable. Composers and producers can now use virtual instruments to sketch out entire symphonies or jazz quartets and hear them instantly. They can rewrite or rearrange without involving anyone else. This makes solitude more productive.
Writers have experienced a similar transformation. Typing a full book on a typewriter, then retyping entire pages to fix a few words now seems nearly unthinkable. Modern writing tools allow collaboration, track revisions, check spelling, and even suggest improvements. The distance between idea and execution has never been shorter.
Despite these advancements, completing a project remains as challenging as ever. In some ways, it has become even harder. There are numerous tools available and many new ways to begin, making it easy to start over and never finish. Completion requires discipline and clarity. Starting is common. Finishing is rare.
Here is another example. A friend of mine is making a documentary. Ten years ago, she would have needed expensive cameras, professional editing software, and possibly a small crew. Today, she does nearly everything herself. She shoots interviews on a phone and edits on a laptop using affordable software. The technology is accessible. What slows her down is not the gear but the effort of organizing material, shaping the narrative, and staying committed through the final stages. Moving from raw material to finished work demands a shift in mindset. Starting is exciting. Finishing is a decision.
If you want your creative efforts to last and connect with others, you must consider more than the initial burst of inspiration. You also need to consider logistics. How will your work be shared? Will it be published, exhibited, streamed, performed, or gifted? Most creators lack access to major distribution outlets. However, the tools available today let us bypass traditional gatekeepers. It is easier than ever to get your work out into the world, but you still have to take the necessary steps.
Lower barriers to entry have increased the number of people who can create and share content. This is wonderful, but it also means more competition. What stands out is not how many projects someone begins. What stands out is which ones they finish and how they share them. This is where technology can be genuinely helpful.
I often use large language models to improve my writing. They catch spelling errors, smooth out grammar, and offer consistency. I also use them as collaborators. They let me test out ideas quickly and revise drafts more easily. In music, I use software to sketch out parts and then listen to them before deciding whether to move forward. These tools help bring clarity to the process and maintain momentum.
We are all born with creative potential. Many people lose touch with it, not because it disappears, but because daily responsibilities become overwhelming. Even those who remain creative often find the most difficult step is follow-through. Starting without finishing is still better than not starting at all. But if you want your work to be seen, shared, adopted, or compensated, you need to finish it. Once that is done, you still need to figure out how to release it into the world. That final act of sharing is what moves your work from personal to public.
Of course, not everyone creates with the goal of finishing or sharing. Some people simply enjoy the process itself. I know keyboard players who never plan to perform. They explore sounds for the pleasure of discovery. When we were growing up, most keyboard players had only a piano, and that was it. Perhaps someone had a harpsichord or a celesta, but those were rare instruments. Today, the possibilities are endless. A single instrument can produce thousands of sounds. This invites curiosity and endless exploration. However, having more options can make it harder to make a choice.
Take a look at the tools you already use to start your projects. Ask yourself whether they also support completion and sharing. Most apps have a “Share” menu. This assumes you have made something digital, which is a start. But it still takes a plan. If you want your work to reach others or support your livelihood, it must be finished. And even then, it must be shown.
People rarely understand what you are creating just because you talk about it. They only begin to understand once you show them something tangible. That moment of recognition, where your idea becomes clear to someone else, only happens after you have done the work of finishing and sharing.
