This makes no sense to me. There are plenty of artists out there (e.g. El Anatsui), not to mention whole professions such as architects, who do not interact directly with what they are building, and yet can have profound relationship with the final product.
Discovering the right problem to solve is not necessarily coupled to being "hands on" with the "materials you're shaping".
Discovering the right problem to solve is not necessarily coupled to being "hands on" with the "materials you're shaping".