Rambling Musings on Quality

I admire craftsmanship.  When you come across something that is extremely well made, it is obvious.  A true craftsman, or craftswoman, puts a part of themselves into the work and it reflects an exacting demand for perfection.

Craftsmen are rare these days.  We live in a world of disposable everything.  Homes, cars, furnishings, clothes -- all are designed with obsolescence in mind.  They are built with cost-saving techniques rather than a focus on durability.

One of the few places this is not the case is in art.  Most artists express themselves in their work.  There are exceptions such as what I call "Motel Art" which is mass produced with a focus on volume, or themes rather than self-expression.

Even among artists though, there are those who are first-rate, whose work is exceptional.  It is obvious to anyone that the talent to create is coupled with the ability to create on a level far above the norm.  There are others who create art as a release of pent-up energy to create that is left unexpressed in their normal occupation.  I would call these recreational artists.  Some of them are very good, others may never have had the chance to fully develop their talent.

It seems that in much of our life we are satisfied with less than the very best.  Generally it is an economic decision -- after all, the cost of exceptional workmanship is very high and most believe they can't afford it.  This has led us to become a "disposable" society.  We pay less, we use, we replace.  The consequence is overflowing landfills.

If we were to establish a mode of thinking that sought high-quality that would endure, we could help alleviate at least some of the environmental issues we face.  A simple example would be a high-quality hand-crafted coffee mug rather than the disposable paper or Styrofoam cups which are everywhere.  Rather than getting a new disposable cup each time you went into your preferred coffee shop, take your hand-crafted mug and have them fill it.

We could very simply alleviate some issues if we would consciously choose first-rate quality rather than settling for good, or adequate, second-rate.  Long-term, first-rate is much less expensive.