Ketchup

Today’s thought was prompted by a lack. Specifically, a lack of ketchup. I have no idea how to spell ketchup in Polish (katchup, keczap?), so I’m writing as it sounds. I’m currently in a huge craving phase for zapiekanka  -Polish cheese bread with mushrooms. For some time now I’ve been trying different breads, cheeses, and methods to make the perfect zapiekanka. Of course, you can’t make one as perfect as the one from Lussi at 3 a.m. near Central Station in Warsaw, but at least you can make one that satisfies your hunger and soothes your nostalgia.

Today’s zapiekanka was in question because we ran out of ketchup at home. I didn’t have time to go to the store, but I had all the other ingredients, so I started thinking. How can I make ketchup in 5 minutes? Or what can I substitute? I found chipotle-mayo, which probably wouldn’t be the worst idea, but I wasn’t feeling up to experimenting; I wanted something more traditional and soothing. I could also fry and reduce the tomatoes, but it would be a bit crumbly over time, and they would still need to cool, because one of the important features of a zapiekanka is cold ketchup, not hot ketchup. The temperature difference. And finally, I found it! Tomato paste from Trader Joe’s. Organic, not expired (!) Zapiekankas went into the oven, and after taking them out, I spread the paste. I couldn’t create nice ketchup streaks, but after spreading, the flavor was fantastic! I think it was even better than ketchup! More tart, more acidic, amazing!

And this whole very serious situation made me realize something important in my reflections on artificial intelligence, creativity, and work. LOL, I’m already expanding.

All artificial intelligence tools give us access to unlimited possibilities. You can create absolutely anything, customize it to your liking, and it will refine every detail to best suit you and your needs. But the problem is that, faced with the promise of creating something new and without any limitations, we panic. We have no point of reference, and the realization that anything is possible is quite paralyzing. It’s not a tool for creativity. It’s torture. It completely kills creativity. What truly gives us a sense of fulfillment and creativity are our limitations. More specifically, when we manage to overcome some limitation and create something despite lacking sufficient resources, knowledge, or tools. It’s the real effort that gives us true satisfaction. Would I be as happy eating a zapiekanka with an unlimited number of ketchups to try? First, I’d have to open them all, try a little of each, compare them, remember which ones were good and which were bad, and in the end, I’d still be dissatisfied because there was probably some other ketchup I didn’t buy that would have been the best. The traps of capitalism and excess. What made my zapiekanka the best was that, out of a lack of (ketchup) and the effort of finding a substitute, I managed to creatively devise a substitute that added something completely new to my experience. It might not have been so surprising, since tomato paste is almost like ketchup, but it’s about the whole experience of solving a problem. It’s not the endless possibilities that bring satisfaction, but the ability to think creatively in the absence of a perfect solution. Limitations are creativity’s best ally. And they allow us to experience that wonderful feeling of satisfaction. That’s why I’m on the team that AI is a bubble that will slowly burst, at least when it comes to creativity.