SKILLED AND SELL

My previous blog (apologies for bad spelling!) took the subject of cross over skills and explored their relevance. As a craftsperson I feel its vital to hone one’s skill to the ultimate point of perfection. First find out what you are good at then hope that you enjoy being good at the thing you are good at. Usually, they go together and usually one discovers at school what it is that you want to do for the rest of your life. Perception of cross over skills is that they are the soft willy washy type of stuff such as communication and time management which really no one I have met can define.

My skill and one I am grateful for is that I can manipulate glass tubing and rod in a flame to make things that people recognise. They recognise to the extent that they might even part with cash and but my glass. Doesn’t happen all the time but if no one bought form me that doesn’t deter from the fact that I am a skilled glass crafter. I don’t need to be good at anything else and indeed if I tried then that would dilute my energy away from my glass skills. I am not an artist since I focus too much on one material. When I get an idea, I automatically think it has to be created in glass. I could choose metal or wood, but I am not familiar enough with those materials so don’t even bother. Its glass all the way for me and as I get older, I realise my time here is limited so I really better focus on glass without deviation.

I believe everyone is good at one thing and as long as everyone concentrates on different things then that contributes to a healthy community. God, forbid I lived in a town that was full of glass experts! Nothing would get done as we would all be too wrapped up I our own worlds!

There are traditional skills, modern skills, outdoor skills, computer skills, people skills etc. etc. Doesn’t matter what skills chosen they have to be learnt and perfected time and time again. People look at me making a piece of wonderful (in their eyes) glass art and marvel how skilled I am. Of course, that’s true since I have been working with glass for over fifty years. Not only have you to learn a skill but you have to keep practising and practicing and practising. That is why I will never be a skilled blogger since when I write my seventieth blog (not long now) I will stop (maybe). For me with glass then I learn every day. I never become complacent since it’s a constant battle between me and the hot glass as to who is in charge. The glass thinks it’s the boss and I am happy to guide the material in a way that I want without annoying the glass. Rather like controlling people! Oh, that’s another skill I forgot. How we are controlled, so controlled that we ignore who is doing the controlling.

The think about being skilled with a craft that its pretty obvious when you aren’t in control, and it all goes pear shaped which is fine if you are making a fruit basket but not if you are tackling a tricky human figure from solid glass at 900 degrees centigrade. The skill of not getting burnt is secondary to the skill of finish the glass piece without it shattering.

One skill I am familiar with is the art of fine photography having been the subject of many a camera person. The photographs accompanying this blog were taken by Mark Griffen and his skill has well and truly developed. I am still at the stage of the instamatic!

Finally, skills aren’t cheap nor easy to learn. If they were they would just be another commodity sold in supermarkets. Real skills have a cost and unfortunately not every sees the value of skill as they are blinded by the price!