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the world goes flat…that is the basic component ＇for survival＇。 When you are changing
jobs a lot； and when your job environment is changing a lot； being adaptable is the
number one thing。 The people who are losing out are those with solid technical skills
who have not grown those skills。 You have to be skillfully adaptable and socially
adaptable。〃
The more we push out the boundaries of knowledge and technology； the more complex
tasks that machines can do； the more those with specialized education； or the ability
to learn how to learn； will be in demand； and for better pay。 And the more those without
that ability will be less generously compensated。 What you don't want to be is a not
very special； not very specialized； not very anchored； or not very adaptable
person in a fungible job。 If you are in the low…margin； fungible end of the work food
chain； where businesses have an incentive to outsource to lower…cost； equally
efficient producers； there is a much greater chance that your job will be outsourced
or your wages depressed。
〃If you are a Web programmer and are still using only HTML and have not expanded your
skill set to include newer and creative technologies； such as XML and multimedia；
your value to the organization gets diminished every year；〃 added Vashistha。 New
technologies get introduced that increase complexity but improve results； and as long
as a programmer embraces these and keeps abreast of what clients are looking for；
his or her job gets hard to outsource。 〃While technology advances make last year's
work a commodity；〃 said Vashistha； 〃reskilling； continual professional education and
client intimacy to develop new relationships keeps him or her ahead of the commodity
curve and away from a potential offshore。'〃
My childhood friend Bill Greer is a good example of a person who faced this challenge
and came up with a personal strategy to meet it。 Greer is forty…eight years old and
has made his living as a freelance artist and graphic designer for twenty…six years。
From the late 1970s until right around 2000； the way Bill did his job and served his
clients was pretty much the same。
〃Clients； like The New York Times； would want a finished piece of artwork；〃 Bill
explained to me。 So if he was doing an illustration for a newspaper or a magazine；
or proposing a new logo for a product； he would actually create a piece of art…sketch
it； color it； mount it on an illustration board； cover it with tissue； put it in a
package that was opened with two flaps； and have it delivered by messenger or FedEx。
He called it 〃flap art。〃 In the industry it was known as 〃camera…ready art；〃 because
it neededto be shot； printed on four different layers of color film； or 〃separations；〃
and prepared for publication。 〃It was a finished product； and it had a certain
preciousness to it；〃 said Bill。 〃It was a real piece of art； and sometimes people
would hang them on their walls。 In fact； The New York Times would have shows of works
that were created by illustrators for its publications。〃
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But in the last few years 〃that started to change；〃 Bill told me； as publications
and ad agencies moved to digital preparation； relying on the new software…namely；
Quark； Photoshop； and Illustrator； which graphic artists refer to as 〃the
trinity〃…which made digital computer design so much easier。 Everyone who went through
art school got trained on these programs。 Indeed； Bill explained； graphic design got
so much easier that it became a commodity。 It got turned into vanilla ice cream。 〃In
terms of design；〃 he said； 〃the technology gave everyone the same tools； so everyone
could do straight lines and everyone could do work that was halfway decent。 You used
to need an eye to see if something was in balance and had the right typeface； but
all of a sudden anyone could hammer out something that was acceptable。〃
So Greer pushed himself up the knowledge ladder。 As publications demanded that all
final products be presented as digital files that could be uploaded； and there was
no longer any more demand for that precious flap art； he transformed himself into
an ideas consultant。 〃Ideation〃 was what his clients； including McDonald's and
Unilever； wanted。 He stopped using pens and ink and would just do pencil sketches；
scan them into his computer； color them by using the computer's mouse； and then e…mail
them to the client； which would have some less skilled artists finish them。
〃It was unconscious；〃 said Greer。 〃I had to look for work that not everyone else could
do； and that young artists couldn't do with technology for a fraction of what I was
being paid。 So I started getting offers where people would say to me； 'Can you do
this and just give us the big idea？' They would give me a concept； and they would
just want sketches； ideas； and not a finished piece of art。 I still use the basic
skill of drawing； but just to convey an idea…quick sketches； not finished artwork。
And for these ideas they will still pay pretty good money。 It has actually taken me
to a different level。 It is more like being a consultant rather than a JAFA （Just
Another Fucking Artist）。 There are a lot of JAFAs out there。 So now I am an idea man；
and I have played off that。 My clients just buy concepts。〃 The JAFAs then do the art
in…house or it gets outsourced。 〃They can take my raw sketches and finish them and
illustrate them using com242
puter programs； and it is not like I would do it； but it is good enough；〃 Greer said。
But then another thing happened。 While the evolving technology turned the lower end
of Greer's business into a commodity； it opened up a whole new market at the upper
end： Greer's magazine clients。 One day； one of his regular clients approached him
and asked if he could do morphs。 Morphs are cartoon strips in which one character
evolves into another。 So Martha Stewart is in the opening frame and morphs into
Courtney Love by the closing frame。 Drew Barrymore morphs into Drew Carey。 Mariah
Carey morphs into Jim Carrey。 Cher morphs into Britney Spears。 When he was first
approached to do these； Greer had no idea where to begin。 So he went onto Amazon。com
and located some specialized software； bought it； tried it out for a few days； and
produced his first morph。 Since then he has developed a specialty in the process；
and the market for them has expanded to include Maxim magazine； More； and
Nickelodeon…one a men's magazine； one a middle…aged women's magazine； and one a kids'
magazine。
In other words； someone invented a whole new kind of sauce to go on the vanilla； and
Greer jumped on it。 This is exactly what happens in the global economy as a whole。
〃I was experienced enough to pick these ＇morphs＇ up pretty quickly；〃 said Greer。 〃Now
I do them on my Mac laptop； anywhere I am； from Santa Barbara to Minneapolis to my
apartment in New York。 Sometimes clients give me a subject； and sometimes I just come
up with them。 Morphing used to be one of those really high…end things you saw on TV；
and then they came out with this consumer ＇software＇ program and people could do it
themselves； and I shaped them so maga