Restriction and Creativity

Over the past few months I've spent a lot of time pondering whether or not digital drawing is really all it's cracked up to be. I dabbled with it for 2 years on different projects. I've even drawn a complete 22 page issue entirely digital. And I color Flying Fortress digitally 100% of the time. But I think there is a romance with pencil and paper that can never be reproduced. Even if it could be someday, is that really what I want? A reproduction of the real thing?

This idea of me dropping digital has even go so far as to thinking about coloring a comic using water colors instead of Photoshop. If nothing else it would allow me to expand my artistic tool-set in something that is useful outside of comics. Should we as artists just jump in to digital work because it makes it easier? Should we follow the rest of the world just because everything is digital these days? There's something to be said for a fully penciled and inked drawing on Bristol board that you can never experience on a screen. It's a tangible thing that isn't going anywhere. It's not tied behind DRM or only best viewed on a high definition display. If the power goes out you can still hold it and look at it. For that matter, if the power goes out you can still work with traditional tools.

I recently found out that Jack White doesn't allow cell phones at his shows. After digging deeper I learned that he holds some very similar ideas about tech that I've been pondering not a few months prior. Below are a couple videos of him describing it and I think they help sum up what I'm feeling about the subject.

If you'll indulge me in a 'P.S.'

I'm not saying that all technology is bad or if you draw using a Wacom that you aren't a real artist. I'm also not saying that I'll never use it again. I Just think that if you allowed yourself some more restriction that you'd find more creative ways of doing things. That is all!