Of course, there will always be those who look only at

In the words of the visionary Man Ray, the declaration resounds: “Of course, there will always be those who look only at technique, who ask ‘how’, while others of a more curious nature will ask ‘why’. Personally, I have always preferred inspiration to information.” This saying is not merely an artist’s boast, but a timeless reflection upon the way humanity seeks knowledge and meaning. It is the voice of a soul who knew that the spirit must always triumph over the mechanism, the flame over the ash, the vision over the tool. For technique and information are but the scaffolding; it is inspiration that builds the temple itself.

Long have mortals debated whether wisdom lies in the mastery of method, or in the pursuit of purpose. The how is a chain of steps, measured, cold, and precise. It teaches the hand to obey, but it cannot make the heart soar. The why, by contrast, is the cry of the seeker, the question of meaning that awakens not only thought but destiny. Man Ray, whose art fractured conventions and bent reality into new shapes, understood that the great works of life are not born in instruction alone. They are ignited by inspiration, that divine spark which strikes the soul and sets it ablaze with vision.

Consider the tale of Archimedes, who was asked to measure the purity of a king’s crown. A man of unparalleled technique might have wasted days with chisels and scales. But Archimedes, lost in contemplation, stepped into his bath and saw the water rise. At that instant, the light of inspiration burst forth, and he ran naked through the streets crying “Eureka!” His triumph was not of information, but of vision. Such is the difference between the mind that counts the bricks and the spirit that imagines the palace.

Yet, let us not despise the how, for it is the servant of creation. The craftsman must know his tools; the warrior must know his blade. But to dwell only on the how is to walk in circles upon the earth, never looking up to the heavens. The why leads us upward, beyond mere survival, into the realm of meaning, beauty, and legacy. Technique without inspiration is an empty vessel. Inspiration without form is a fleeting dream. But when the why guides the how, the ordinary becomes eternal.

Man Ray himself, living amidst the turbulence of the 20th century, refused to let art bow to the chains of convention. Others asked him, “How did you create this?” Yet his spirit burned with a different fire. He sought not to repeat what had already been done but to awaken new ways of seeing. To him, inspiration was more precious than all the libraries of information, for information explains the world, while inspiration transforms it.

So I say to you who walk the path of learning: do not bind yourselves only to rules, methods, and the sterile worship of precision. Seek also the living flame of wonder. Ask yourself not only “How shall I live?” but “Why shall I live? What purpose sings within my heart?” In this question, there lies the seed of greatness. For every age remembers its inspired souls, not merely its competent ones.

The lesson is clear: fill your mind with information, but let your soul be guided by inspiration. In your daily life, pause to ask “Why?”—why you work, why you create, why you dream. Do not allow routine to suffocate your spirit. Cultivate moments of silence and beauty, where inspiration may descend like a sudden wind. Read not only manuals, but poetry. Watch not only the clock, but the stars. Create not only for approval, but for meaning.

In the end, remember this: technique may carve the stone, but it is inspiration that reveals the god within it. Let your life be not only skillful, but radiant with vision. Seek the why, cherish the inspiration, and you shall not merely live—you shall become a light for those yet to come.