January 27th, 2009 by Wes Baker

Craftsmanship

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Craftsmanship is:

The skills, knowledge, and dexterity involved in creating works of art. Generally refers to skill in producing expertly finished products; fine workmanship.

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Workshops, not Factories

A factory is a production house which is built purely for results and minimizing costs. These are typically fluorescent-lit, taupe-painted, and boring. They manage to remind the employee that they are not smart, they shouldn't make decisions and that they are very expendable.

Contrast this with a workplace like ours. We have track lights on dimmers for those mornings when we need a little less light and want it quiet and mellow. We've dismissed the off-white taupe in favor of Sage, Crimson, Navy and Banana. We have a whole wall that's a giant whiteboard. Everything here reminds us that we are all creative, that we all have the ability to come up with great ideas.

Love, not Labor

Maybe by a result of our workshop like environment, or maybe as a result of the kind of people we are, we care about what we make. We don't just want to finish the project and get it out the door and get paid. We put a lot of love into our projects and we want to see them flourish and do well once they leave us.

Craftsmen love what they do, its part of the life. Why would we spend all of our time improving, learning, and creating if we didn't love what we do?

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Good Tools, not Shiny Tools

While I don't want to dwell on tools for too long, I think this bears mentioning. We don't care so much about how the tool looks, but rather how it performs. This seems like an obvious point, but there have been many times that buzz has surrounded a new tool that gleams under the spotlight, only to stink when you put it to use.

A lot of what we use may not look good, it may not be new, and it may not even be the preferred tool in the industry. But once the craftsman takes up the tool, you'll hardly notice. It becomes an extension of the craftsman and while it may look ugly by itself, it becomes a beautiful instrument in the hands of the craftsman.

Speak up.

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