We know that pencils, oil paints and brushes are ‘just tools.’ And yet, we appreciate that the artist’s encounter with his or her tools is close and relational. It may shut people out, temporarily, but the work itself can bring one closer to oneself, and ultimately to others. In the right settings, people develop relationships with computers that feel artistic and personal. And yet, for most people, and certainly for the women I studied, this was rare. When they began to approach the computer in their own style, they got their wrists slapped, and were told that they were not doing things ‘right.’

When this happens, many people drop out.