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Here’s a quote from venerable Japanese glass-blower Yoshiharu Shinohara:
Lately, parents of young people will come up to me, and say “My child is really quiet and withdrawn, and just likes to stay in the house all the time, so I want him to become a craftsman.” But this is what I tell them: “Lady, you’ve got it all wrong. It’s tough to be a craftsman these days. You’ve got to find your own way to market your product, explain it by yourself, and add value to the product so it will sell for a good price. If you’re quiet and withdrawn, you’d better forget about being a craftsman."
It’s an interesting point of view, at odds with the museological approach to traditional artisans. The rest of the article is well worth a read.
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