PhotoShop, Illustrator, CorelDraw, InDesign, Flash and most other software used in our industry are tools. Just like a brush and canvas, they do not do the work for us they are just tools. Like a brush, the tool does not make art. I can paint a wall light blue, it could be art if I was making a statement, but if I just like my walls the color blue, then it is craft.

To those that would say that it is different, that the computer creates the art, I respond with these questions, "Is it only art if I use no tools? Should finger painting with hand-squished berries be the only true art?" Obviously not true, the brush, welding torch, even the camera are all tools to help us convey our vision, feelings or emotion to others. How well we convey that is what makes the difference between "art" and "craft"

Once, a friend and I were listening to an electronic version of Debussy's music. My friend said to me, "Debussy would be turning in his grave to hear his music played like this." I replied that I believe that Debussy would have used every tool at his disposal to create music that expressed the emotions he created in his own mind. I think he would have jumped at the opportunity to use new tools to share his vision.

Tools. Nothing more or less. David Byrne (formerly of the Talking Heads) created "art" using PowerPoint. He said that it was like creating a short film because he could combine elements created from many sources. David said, "Surely some techie or computer artist was already using this dumb program as artistic medium." The "dumb program" does not create art, it is the human behind the curtain that makes it create art.

So, if your capable and have a thought, emotion and/or message to give to the rest of the world, or just want to create, go out there and create art, use any tool you need. Everyone who finds meaning in your work, whether they know it or not, will have experienced "art".