22 Mar, 2019
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artisan
,
Craft
,
handiwork
,
inspiration
,
made by hand
,
Pittsburgh mercantile
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24 comments
A Job Well Done
22 Mar, 2019
·
·
artisan
,
Craft
,
handiwork
,
inspiration
,
made by hand
,
Pittsburgh mercantile
·
24 comments
In professional life as well personal life, one key motivation is simple: the desire to do a job well. It takes a long time to master the professional stuff: crafting a pithy but succinct email, holding a productive and fun meeting, establishing authority while encouraging autonomy. (It takes even longer to become be a talented partner, parent and citizen, but that’s for another post….) And we learn most of these lessons from craft. In handwork, there’s an experimental rhythm of problem solving — and problem finding — that's not so different from what we do in our professional lives. In his seminal book “The Craftsman,” sociologist Richard Sennett connects craftsmanship to ethical values, praising the “irregularity, distinctiveness and character” of the handmade; Sennet argues that these qualities define what makes good work, whether one is a marketing executive, a programmer, or a parent. Whatever your work is, I hope it is made with character. It’s what fulfills and sustains us. And It’s what we celebrate daily at Pittsburgh Mercantile.