The Wisdom of Our Hands by Doug Stowe

Author:Doug Stowe
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Linden Publishing

CHAPTER 7

CRAFTING, THE FAMILY

“The ground of this business [education] is, that sensual objects be rightly presented to the senses for fear that they not be received … This is the foundation of all the rest; because we can neither act nor speak wisely, unless we first rightly understand all the things which are to be done and whereof we have to speak.”

—JOHN AMOS COMENIUS33

Throughout the earlier times in human history and in every civilization, crafting was essential to survival. Children were taught by family members to make the essential things of life, and in doing so, culture was formed. In writing this book, I’ve tried not to be trite or trivial, and for that reason I have avoided clichés. But let’s use a couple for good measure. The first is that apples tend not to fall far from the tree. I’m here now as I am because I’ve been delivered by trees of my own kind: a mother trained as a kindergarten teacher who loved the arts, and a father who loved making things and encouraging others to do the same. I bring them up not only as an explanation of who I am, but also because, as I’ll address later, engagement with family at all ages is an important contributor toward personal artistic growth. Family is a thread that runs through this chapter of the book.

Second cliché: no artisan is an island unto themself. I have learned the simple lesson that you, I, family, community, human culture, and the world of nature are seamlessly interconnected, and, being connected, we have important things to learn and share with each other. We function best in our craftsmanship when we are deeply connected with others. Family for most woodworkers may be the most important source of inspiration and empowerment. When I ask my adult students where they found their own interest in woodworking, most will point to a close family member or to a school woodshop.

A third point, not common enough to be trite, is a saying from the I Ching (Book of Changes), a Chinese book of philosophy and divination: “If you want to know how something is going to turn out, look at its beginnings.” I find that history tells us important lessons, which is why I’ve found value in looking back at such things as kindergarten and the manual-training movement. Coming from the opposite direction is a saying from the study of geology: “The present is the key to the past.” We can witness elements of our own past as we watch craft traditions long held sacred in families and communities within the developing world being lost to manufactured market materialism. That plays out today even in the industrialized world as we choose to shop rather than to make for ourselves, our families, and our communities.

Let me briefly review the changing history of community-based crafts. For countless generations, locally produced home crafts met the needs of people. These home crafts were produced in family settings with skills passed on from generation to generation.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.