For the Craftsmen Among Us Trying to Produce Their Best Work For a Fair Price

Some of us are craftsmen, either amateur or professional. 

We amateurs pursue our crafts in the precious hours we can carve out of any given day after we've finished the jobs that pay us for our labor. Count me in that tribe.

Then we have the professional craftsmen: those who attempt to make a living selling the products of their particular craft. I was once part of that tribe. Couldn't make enough to support a family. So there went the craft - at least for a few decades, until I was able to restart things as an amateur.

So I've seen it from both angles. Either way, a true craftsman approaches his work with the desire to produce something that adds to the treasury of the True, the Good, and the Beautiful. At least that's how I've always thought of good, quality craftsmanship.

But even if you're not a craftsman, you may own or enjoy what craftsmen produce. That's especially true if we consider a broad definition of the term "craft."  That definition includes hand-made objects like cabinets and furniture. These decorate our homes and workplaces. When produced by a skilled craftsman, they can be both functional and attractive. It includes apparel that takes a step away from the merely practical, or decorative arts that can brighten a personal or work space. And let's not forget music. These days we have virtually instant access to so many styles.

All of these - and more - can fall into the "craft" category.

When real crafts apply mind and body to their product, our minds, bodies, even our souls can be lifted up a step up from what otherwise might be merely ordinary, even drab in our lives. They make this world a better place. Because of that, their work touches far more people in a visible way than the work some of us do. Not that our work isn't important too. It's just that others may not find it as pleasing as that fine cabinet, that perfectly fitting jacket or shirt, the watercolor on the wall that softens and enhances a bare wall, or the music either playing in the background or grabbing our attention for a few minutes during a busy stressful day at work. 

What craftsmen create is definitely not some fringe or marginal component of our surroundings that we can - or at least would want to - do without. 

As a craftsman (music), I can attest to the importance of stability in the workplace while trying to create. I don't need a large or elaborate space. But it can't be disorderly or distracting. Disruptions - except for emergencies like "The house is on fire!" are verboten.

While a craftsman needs a proper environment to do his best work, his best work can promote a more orderly, peaceful, and stable environment for those of us who buy his product. 

Some workplaces incorporate more thoughtful physical layouts than others. They use craftsmen who design workspace and populate that space with physical components that are both functional and attractive. They may not be as common as the typical purely "practical" work spaces in which many of us toil, but if you've ever worked in one, they're quite special. And while a workplace can provide a solid stable environment without the thoughtful addition of fine craftsmanship, it sure doesn't hurt to employ the deft hand of a craftsman to spruce up your surroundings.

The next entry in the Rule indicates that St. Benedict understood and appreciated the place of craftsmanship in the monastery. With that understanding, see how his main concern is the soul of the craftsman - no surprise there.

"If there be craftsmen in the monastery, let them practice their c rafts with all humility, provided the abbot give permission. But if one of them be puffed up, because of his skill in is craft, supposing that he is conferring a benefit in the monastery, let him be removed from his work and not return to it, unless he have humbled himself and abbot entrust it to him again. If any of the work of the craftsmen is to be sold, let those who have to manage the business take care that they be not guilty of any dishonesty..."

We craftsmen have a lot to contribute to this world. And our creations can add to stability in the workplace as well. But we would do well to heed St. Benedict's insistence that we not be "puffed up" - especially if we happen to be really good at our craft. 

Also, for those who do this for a living, sell your products for a fair price. Frankly, being able to produce your best work for a fair price sounds like a pretty satisfying way to make a living, doesn't it?