I was all set to write a post about how much craft and craftsmanship we've lost since the industrial revolution, a sentiment which has become cliché.
However I got to analysing the actual situation and most crafts have their leading proponents. These are people who are passionate about what they do and pursue an avenue regardless of what others may tell them or how lucrative it may or may not be.
Perhaps what we've done is separate the wheat from the chaff, perhaps those who were stuck in being weavers or potters because of social standing or poor access to education are now doing other jobs.
I make jewellery by hand because it's part of who I am. When you ask a craftsman 'why pottery' or whatever they're up to, they always look a little confused by the question. To take a deterministic approach, one could say 'being who I am, I could make no other choice'
There is something inherent in each activity which ignites a part of our personality, often to the point of obsession. We allow it to take over our lives and then we express our lives through it.
"Find what you love and let it kill you" Charles Bukowski
