Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting crafts persons making every conceivable item, from boats to bonnets.
They all share one drive: to make things, and to make them as well as they possibly can. They make new things that we can use today, using ancient qualities of skill, perseverance, and sheer joy in handling their materials.
Being a craftsperson in Britain today is not easy. Costs are high: rents and mortgages have to be paid, while facing competition from hand-made goods imported from low-cost economies where people can work for 50p an hour.
The dedicated few persevere: some continuing with crafts that have served humanity for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Others use new materials, in new ways, and create beautiful objects to bring pleasure to their users every day.
Now there’s a new enthusiasm for crafts, as people rediscover the pleasure of making things for themselves. We don’t all have to be professionals: many people enjoy crafts as a hobby.
And there are plenty of opportunities to learn. Many professionals offer training, from a simple half day session to intense residential courses. It’s a fun way to take a holiday and learn a skill that will bring satisfaction for many years to come.
So why not take up a new craft today? There’s a directory of courses at http://www.craftanddesign.net/workshops/
You can read some of my features for Craft and Design at http://www.craftanddesign.net/features/
and see the blog at http://www.craftanddesign.net/blog/?p=148
