Think about action movie heroes. What often sets them apart from the basic henchmen they fight is their ability to make better use of everything in their immediate surroundings.

Think of any Jackie Chan movie. He doesn't just punch and kick better than everyone else - he runs, jumps, and climbs better than everyone else, also. There's a recent James Bond movie where Daniel Craig is fighting John Bautista on a train. Despite the significant disadvantage James Bond had in size and strength, he was able to wear down his larger foe by grabbing every pot, pan, and kitchen rack in his vicinity and using them to attack. John Bautista had every opportunity to use the same tools, but he refused to, instead relying on his own brute strength.

The point is that the winners aren't always the ones who push through on their own - they're usually the ones who make the most of everything around them. 

So, in contrast to what I said in the earlier post, I fully recognize that using tools such as UI widgets and image uploading libraries to solve problems is perfectly viable and effective. It's the swashbuckling of coding.