There is a fundamental difference between the craftsman and the artist.

Craftsmen know what they want to make before they make it.

A barista knows she wants to make a Café au lait before she makes a Cafe au lait. A carpenter knows he wants to build a staircase before he builds a staircase. A blacksmith knows they want to make a spade before they make a spade.

Artists, on the other hand, don't know what they want to make before they make it.

Vincent van Gogh didn't know he wanted to paint The Starry Night before he painted The Starry Night. Patti Smith didn't know she wanted to make Horses before she made Horses. Cormac McCarthy didn't know he wanted to write Blood Meridian before he wrote Blood Meridian.

Sure, these artists had an idea or a feeling or a sound or a sentiment they were hoping to capture. But, one can't simply plan to paint a masterpiece the likes of The Starry Night night.

The world needs craftspeople just like it needs artists. Neither is better than the other. However, if you're choosing to be an artist, you're choosing to forfeit certainty. You're choosing to journey into the unknown surrounded by the blackness of night with little more than the torch that is your skill, intuition and past experiences to light your way.

It's a courageous act and one not everyone is cut out for.