Photo: Fells Point, Baltimore, Sep 2009, by me
[1]
“That’s where I think craft is so important, because imbedded in craft is the model of caring. It’s not producing stuff to sell, to make a profit, to keep the shareholders of the business happy. It’s making stuff because you want to make it, and you care about making it, and you use the best materials and processes because you want it to last. It’s innate in craft that you care. I think that is really important, that we should elevate it more and give it more attention and place in our lives.”
[2]
the dirty secret truth about talent — and how to grow it
1
A writing teacher told me that although it’s easy for her to recognize the students with “talent”, she’s learned that it’s impossible to predict who will develop and succeed as a writer and who will not (the “talented ones”, she said, “tend to disappear and you never hear from them again”).
[click the link above to read the rest]
Really great reading!! Thanks H!
In the meantime, I’ll continue to bounce between knitting/writing/photo-ing/yoga-ing/spinning occasionally – because I can’t give any of them up completely for another.
I’ve been thinking lately about the fact that I can’t focus on one pursuit for a truly extended length of time. I think some of this is personality, and some of it is I’m easily bored and need a challenge (and still more is probably driven by a bit of a fixed mindset in that I traditionally take a break when I hit a wall)… But I don’t believe that that I’m incapable of changing, and I do love a challenge. I just think that my tendency is toward the jack of a few trades… I don’t see myself ever being able to focus on ONE pursuit and I’m mostly ok with this, I think the world needs people like this as much as it needs true experts. Sometimes I feel wistful or frustrated about it, but I think of all the things I’m driven to change in my life – this may be either the one that won’t change or the one that happens at the slowest rate. Like I’ll be 70, FINALLY capable of true and devoted focus, and realize that I missed my calling as a [fill in the blank] dedicating the last 20 years of my life to [fill in the blank].