Making is the most powerful way that we solve problems, express ideas
and shape our world. What and how we make defines who we are, and
communicates who we want to be.
For many people, making is
critical for survival. For others, it is a chosen vocation: a way of
thinking, inventing and innovating. And for some it is simply a delight
to be able to shape a material and say 'I made that'. The power of
making is that it fulfills each of these human needs and desires.
Those
whose craft and ingenuity reach the very highest levels can create
amazing things. But making is something everyone can do. The knowledge
of how to make – both everyday objects and highly-skilled creations – is
one of humanity's most precious resources.
- David Charny, guest curator, Power of Making
Because acquiring handicraft skills is done by means of endless cycles of repetition, learning again and again from mistakes and being receptive to new possibilites, it offers professionals more satisfaction in their work than the soul-destroying work of factory labourers.
- Hella Jongerius on Richard Sennett's The Craftsman
