Knowledge is good, but sometimes it can be blinding. It can lead to incorrect assumptions and closed minds. Currently, I’m reading The New Furniture which addresses how technology is changing the woodworking industry. In the book, Ken Susnjara made this comment on how his company, Thermwood, came to invent the first CNC control.
In truth, this was not part of any grand scheme. Much of it occurred just because we didn’t know what we were doing.
– Ken Susnjara
When I haven’t been told that something can’t be done, I am more likely to try it for myself. Even if I hear that it can’t be done, I may still test it. I think that this attitude is exceedingly important in the world we live in today – the age of misinformation. Learning the basics is important, but experimentation and figuring out things for yourself is the best way to learn what works and doesn’t work, as well as why.
Links:
Sculptural Woodwork by Chris Wong 
I agree with the idea that you can accomplish great things by not knowing your “limitations”. It can also be very beneficial to know your craft to the point where you can do everything without thinking. Kind of like a master musician who know his instrument so well that he then plays it without thinking. The instrument becomes a part of his body and he can now be truly creative. It takes a special person to learn a craft completely and then disregard the rules to create new ones. For some this takes a lifetime and for others they achieve it almost as if everything was born within and they just needed to discover it. Either way, I really appreciate your creativity and your willingness to experiment for the benefit of the rest of us.
Just bought a copy on Amazon – cheap. Thanks for the tip and post.