Having a craft mindset is about approaching things in a way that values intent, accountability and continuity of vision. When you build furniture, you have to think about everything. You can’t shift tasks to someone else or let someone else do the design. You have to design it, build it, finish it. You have to make all the decisions. You have to think ahead. You have to think behind. You have to think of everything. That teaches you to pay attention. That teaches you to think.
Craftwork requires focus. It requires intent. It requires paying attention. It requires not being easily distracted. This builds the habit of paying attention. The habit of thinking. The habit of finishing. One thing that comes from this mindset is accountability. When you do it yourself, you can’t blame anyone else for your mistakes. When things go wrong, you have to own up. When things go right, you have to own up. It teaches you to judge. It teaches you to know when something is right and when something is wrong.
This builds confidence. It also builds continuity of thought and action. When you are working on a craft, you have to keep your mind on what you are doing. You can’t let your mind wander or you will mess up. This teaches you to keep your thoughts in line with your actions. It teaches you to keep your actions in line with your thoughts. This is another key piece of the craft mindset.
I believe that craftsmanship also teaches patience. Most crafts require time. Most crafts require slow deliberation. Most crafts require waiting. You can’t rush a craft. At least, you can’t rush a good one. When you are building something, you have to let things set. You have to let things dry. You have to let things cure. This teaches you to slow down. This teaches you to be patient. It teaches you to plan ahead. Craftsmanship also encourages a respect for longevity. When you are building something yourself, you think about whether it will last. You think about whether it will need to be fixed. You think about whether anyone will want it in twenty years.
When you are buying something, you just think about whether you want it now. When you build with craft in mind, you build things to last. You build things to endure. You build things that people will want in twenty years. This impacts how we design and build things. We think about the long term. We think about the future. We don’t just think about the immediate present.
