Craftsmanship

Modern craftsmanship principles apply to most, if not all trades. While it’s common to think back in history and pick trades such as blacksmithing or even pottery when discussing craftsman and craftsmanship, today, craftsmanship principles can apply to all fields.

I’m at the beginning of my journey in the Develop Carolina apprenticeship program and one of the first things introduced is how to approach the program and learn. That involved learning about the history of craftsmanship and what that means. Craftsmanship is more of a mindset and how you approach your trade or career. In an article regarding shokunin, I read that the finished product is affected by the environment produced. These artisans spend a lifetime learning their environment and materials to create products and are true masters of their craft.

This itself can apply to several trades such as nursing, service industry positions, and in my case, software engineering. In order to master your craft, you must pour yourself into your craft. Fully immerse yourself and love what you do every day. To get better you have to DO. One of the common themes I saw while researching craftsmanship was repetition. By continuous practice and DOING you will see improvements. Another resource during this learning module was watching the film Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Jiro is what most consider a master of his craft. Something straightforward that I thought was rather powerful was Jiro saying something like “All I want to do is make the best sushi, and it gets better each time.” Jiro’s son also says some are born with natural skills and gifts but if you work hard you’ll get good over time.” Again, a very common theme is investing your time and dedication to the craft.

To summarize, a craftsman is anyone who takes pride in what they do, loves what they do, has self discipline, and truly invests in their field. Craftsmanship doesn’t apply to any particular craft or trade its how you approach the craft or trade.