skeptic

These keys i place my fingers upon are quite deceitful. They give the illusion of being tools for creating, but all too rarely do they fulfill this purpose. All because of one:

The backspace.

Like an extension of my ego, that little voice in my head, it has become so easy to dismiss something that could be worked with little effort and molded into a piece of art.

In the past there was the eraser: A useful guy when you needed a little editing, but without the propensity for destruction like his vigilant successor. Both have the same ability to nullify one's thoughtfulness, but oh how different these two are.

The pencil is an eloquent tool. Gliding across pages like a swift summers breeze, a vehicle for the magic of inspiration. At times it's works can seem effortless, and quickly a concept is born. But then of course there exists the pencil's nemesis:

The eraser.

His only job, to destroy, but will he use his powers for good or for evil?

Well, that is up to the artist. The eraser brings with him the ability to allow one a second chance at choosing their words. What a worthy purpose to serve.

Yet, as all things in life, there are two sides to every coin. On one side he is precise and exact, and on the other side he brings irrevocable damage and perdition, but even if he is used in the latter form, still the pencil's mark remains. The eraser can try, but never will he fully remove the impression of endeavors past.

And then came the computer....

The computer is a vastly different machine than the pencil, but it can be used to serve the same purpose. However, the act of typing is not nearly as swift and fluid as the old pencil. The amount of effort required to bring forth one's thoughts to page is far greater than holding a piece of graphite clothed in wood and sweeping it across a blank canvas.

Of course, there are many things a computer can do that a pencil could never dream of. Such as: The ability to organize your thoughts into folders all neatly housed inside one tiny box, or to give you access to a vast array of resources that can help you paint the picture which is beheld in your mind's eye.

But there is that voice.... That voice in your head that says: "This is rubbish.", and rather than having to exert any physical effort to bring forth destruction, this voice now has a button:

The backspace.

This button is far removed from it's predecessor the eraser. Unlike our old companion, the backspace leaves no remnants of former inhabitants to the workspace. In one fell swoop this button alone can render an artist mute, empty, and alone.

It once took effort to destroy, and creativity was an untamed stallion set to roam the land with the wind, but the tables have turned, and the effort is now in creative prosperity, while destruction lingers ever so watchful, waiting for doubt to creep in.