Craftsmanship

My Grandfather used to make boats. For fun. It blows my mind to see the attention to detail (that wheel turns!), but when I got my hands on a couple this last weekend it also made me think about how I work.

I remember watching him when I was younger, after he retired he spent almost every hour he had couped up in his little woodworking shed, always whittling or sanding something. Almost everything that looks like it might be an individual piece of wood, is. From the panelling on the deck and the hull, to the cannons and the pulleys. Underneath the panelling is a perfectly formed skeleton hull, although no-one could ever hope to see it without destroying the boat.

My dad used to bring him scrap wood, anything that he found, it didn't need to be high quality, it just went into the shed when it came back out it had been crafted into something beautiful. The first boat weighs no more than a few ounces, it feels insanely fragile, and unsurprisingly, there are a few places where it looks a bit worse for wear. But there's nothing a little bit of care couldn't fix.

Time has been kinder to this second one, it had pride of place in my grandmother's living room for as long as I can remember, and is practically as good as new. It's about the same size as the first (about 18" tall and long), though a little less intricate, and much heavier... probably just because of the type of wood.

These boats took weeks or months to put together, but he never hurried. He could probably have cut corners, but that was never the point.

This was about craft, pure and simple, he enjoyed it and wanted to perfect it. I've got to get myself better connected with that craftsman gene.

Software is my craft, and I don't think I've always done it the justice it deserves. The perception of market speed that the internet gives, the desire for success, and just lazy impatience, can all warp my attitude towards my work. I know I have to be on guard, the best work I've done has been carefully crafted and cultivated... things that get rushed through tend to come back to haunt me later.

There are obviously differences between running a business and craft for fun, in a business there are always times when something just really needs to get done. There are times when you need to be involved early, there are opportunities that go away if you're not paying attention. I just have to make sure I don't let that sense of urgency suppress my craftsmanship.

It's probably easier said than done, but so is everthing important.