What is Craftsmanship?

Craftsmanship is defined as the quality of design and work shown in something made by hand.  Ok, I get it....you can pretty much say that a lot of things are made by "hand".   "I use my hands to type in a command to tell a computer to tell it to print out a design"  or "I use my hands to stir an instant cake mix."   But is it hand crafted?  My experience this weekend prompted this blog.  I'm not much on tooting my own horn but I felt this warranted some clarification.

Any one who has a hobby or job that carves, sews, welds, sculpts, cooks, etc. knows the time, thought and creativity that goes into their wares.  It's not something that is just thrown together.  I'll admit, I've always looked for a good deal and sometimes would skimp on quality in order to pay the lowest price possible.  And guess what?  9 times out of 10 I'd get what I paid for as it was cheaply or poorly made.

Artisans, including myself, take pride in the items they create.  They pay attention to close detail and are usually their own worst critic.  I know I am.  If I make something that it is not up to my satisfaction or it's not something I would want my company name on, I take it apart and redo it or start over completely from scratch.  Time and money lost.  Is it worth it? Absolutely!!!  It's called taking pride in your craft.

I've heard comments such as "I like this (they then look at the price tag) but I don't like it THAT much!" or "I could make that..."  Yes, I'm sure they could.  But once they realize what tools, materials, and other things (time and money, lol) they need to start just one project.....or figure out there are techniques/procedures that need to be followed and/or learned to complete it they tend to rethink the whole idea.

My point I'm trying to get to is craftsmanship isn't cheap.  An artisan who stands behind their work is worth millions. They aren't trying to get rich, just trying make a living like anyone else while providing reasonably priced pieces of ourselves.   As an added bonus, having a one of a kind piece of artwork, clothing, purse, cookies, etc. can make you feel pretty special!