Craftsman or jack of all trades

By Ben Everard. Posted

There's perhaps one big division in the maker world: between makers who learn one skill, material or technique really well and those who like to tinker around with lots of different forms, tools and methods. The former type is often exhaulted as craftsmen while the latter, somewhat derisively put down as 'jack of all trades'.

This is unfair though. There's plenty of advantages to having a wide base of skills. In fact, the full saying is "Jack of all trades, master of none, oftentimes better than master of one". People with broad skill sets are also in good company. The first mention of William Shakespeare in literature (Greene's Groats Worth Of Wit) unflatteringly refers to him as a "Johnny do-it-all" due to him being an actor-turned playwright.

Let's not go too far the other way though. After all, it's often only possible to be a jack of all trades by relying on the techniques and tools that master craftsmen have honed over the decades and centuries.

Ultimately, there's no right or wrong way to be a maker. The important thing is that you do it in a way you enjoy. If that's pushing yourself deep into a particular area, then great, we salute you for your commitment and passion. Alternatively, if you perfer tinkering and constantly learning a wide range of skills, that's also laudable.

However, why not push yourself a little? If you've been focussed in one area for a while, why not throw caution to the wind and try an entirely new way of making things? You never know, you might find something else you enjoy or you might pick up new skills that are applicable to your main specialism. If you've been flitting between different media, why not pick one and try to learn a bit more about it?

Sometimes you need to break out of your comfort zone to push your making skills up to the next level.


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