Learn the rules before you break them

Somewhat, anyway.

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”

The quote is usually attributed to Picasso. Doubtful he actually said it, but I appreciate the sentiment and I’ve found it applies to a lot of arenas. Writing comes to mind. Building, as well. 

I personally believe not every single build needs to be to code or follow the bleeding edge of best practices. That mentality leaves little room for art, stifles growth (the pressure of doing it perfectly often stops people from trying at all), and really just doesn’t allow for the occasional shitty chicken coop. 

There’s nothing wrong with winging it a bit. To get a little wild and try a thing and accept that it won’t be done correctly, or might not have maximum longevity. But it’s good to have those approximations and exercises in experimentation, be educated, and not coming from a place of total cluelessness.

Resources abound and elective ignorance should not be celebrated.

There's no great excuse for creating something catastrophically dangerous. And if you’re going to bend the rules and err a little less on the safety factor than the engineers before you, you should attempt to know by how much you’re erring. 

Basically, it’s one thing to consider your particular climate and application and knowingly cheat the span of a 2x6 rafter (Table 802.4.1(1)) on your shed by a foot or two, but it’s entirely different to throw up a rafter with zero understanding of the best practices and tested capability of that piece of lumber.

Talk to other builders and ask questions, though keep in mind what’s customary in your area may differ from what you might find on the Internet and, while this could be local wisdom, it may just be old timers stuck in their ways. Still, it’s all data that better informs your decision-making.

Search forums. Read a book. Read another book. Read the building code.

By all means, break the rules. Under build it. OVER build it. But know which rules you’re breaking and by approximately how much you’re breaking them. If you can’t explain your decision-making, you’re just guessing, and the world is too rich in easily accessible information for that.