Craft and innovation

Craft is simply the work we do with our hands, our minds, and our hearts; whatever our work may be, with those commitments it can become our craft. As a process, craft is handed on from one artisan to another, and so it is often associated with tradition, culture, and heritage.

If I were to describe the creative difference between art and craft it would be something like this … The essence of craft is rooted in its *transmission* from one artisan to another, creating a continuity of knowledge and skill. The artisan is a conduit, carrying forward the skills and experience of the past while still creating new forms.

In contrast, art emphasizes the meaning and symbolism of each artwork uniquely, and therefore privileges the individuality of the artist over the transmission of skills. It is what the artist *adds* rather than what they *receive* that matters most.

Of course, there is no hard and fast rule about this. There are many artists who are also skilled craftspeople, and there are many craftspeople who are also expressive.

Nevertheless, the difference can be seen in the way that art and craft are often taught: art through a process of individual exploration and experimentation, craft through a process of apprenticeship and imitation.

In our home, Alison is very much the artist and I am the artisan. Alison’s creativity and expression are often astonishing and skillfully executed. It is her need to give expression to what she thinks and feels that urges her to the canvas.

On the other hand, my own craftwork is - if I may say so - reasonably skillful. But what does it express? My deep connection to a family and cultural tradition of making, and my belonging to a community of practice. The work is expressive in form and process, but not in content.

In my book Innovating: A short guide to making new things, I work with this definition …

Innovation is

fresh work

that emerges

from radical answers

to the basic questions of our craft.

There’s a lot packed into there, but the concept of craft is important. We can innovate in any field of work, not just in technology. With a little thought, we know this: there can be innovation in cooking, in fashion, in architecture, in garden design in many different fields.

One of my favorite exercises in innovation workshops is to have participants reflect on objects in their everyday lives and to find the innovations that make them what they are. Then we explore other possibilities throughout the workshop, challenging the design until we find new ideas.

For many people, it’s a revelation to discover that they can think new thoughts in any field to which they turn their attention.

Then, when we do turn back to their quotidian work, to their craft, they do so refreshed and ready to innovate.

You can buy my book here. It digs much deeper into the relationship between craft, innovation and strategy.