I started writing an article this morning on the concept of creating something from nothing. Essentially, how powerfully liberating it can be as a human to create something new. I suppose this would be the pinnacle of achieving a well-lived life. To master your life enough so that you can always be in the process of creation. Two thoughts occurred to me while I was thinking this through. First, it is a luxury to even think this way. Throughout all human history, our very survival has been at the root of our efforts. Only recently have we started to have this level of autonomy from the harsh environment in which we live. Second, I remember from physics class that we cannot create matter. At least in any sense that I know of. Effectively, matter already exists in one format or another, and we can influence molecular bonds to form new materials. You could argue the same is true for human innovation. Seemingly, all innovation is built upon the inventions and ideas of predecessors. Digging deeper, I considered this just a behavior of organic life. We begin, we thrive, we die, and then decay. We give birth to new life and provide nutrients for the following evolving life forms. So, can you really create something from nothing?
Perhaps not, but you certainly can reorganize, improve, and enhance what is already around you. You can create something better and more useful than what is around you now. You can grow, learn, and ultimately put something out into the universe different from what is there now. Effectively, you can be organic. Our society is enthralled by intelligent machines right now. The buzz is about artificial, machine learning, and intelligence. Truly powerful new tools. I believe these will alter society over the next several years, but they are not a replacement for organic life. Living things can find ways around any problem, crawl through even the tiniest crack, and expand when free. We cannot forget about how we thrive. Using machines is one thing; becoming like a machine is just folly and impossible. Borg was a creation of science fiction; our reality is a short life span full of chaos and beauty.
Do not get me wrong, systematizing processes do have value. Using machines and tools to improve our process also can bring us tremendous acceleration. Still, too much of a focus on the synthetic starts to separate us from what is truly remarkable about us. We are an organic species, the very pinnacle of the creation of life, at least here on earth. We should never disregard our incredible ability to create as a species. Envisioning what is NOT there and then creating something to fill the void is what we are. Exploring the unknown and uncovering mystery is the siren call of the entire human family. Our spirit is tied inseparably to the imperfect. We erroneously believe that the goal is to be perfect by removing all the flaws of being human when the reverse is true. We reach perfection through and because of our flaws. The flowers and trees do not hide their blemishes but rather display them for all to see, and collectively viewed, they are more beautiful than anything we have ever created to simulate them.
The more we engage in organic things, the more we live. We should not hide or shirk our duty to be a living, breathing member of an incredible species. Life should be full of wonder, and we should be actively engaged in the constant act of creation. We would fare pretty well if we set out each morning to create something. It is our nature. It is who we are. Create. Be Organic.
