Takumi – Master Craftsman
It is widely believed that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something. In Japan, some craftspeople take 60,000 hours to achieve mastery in a particular craft. These individuals are known as ‘takumi’; masters of their craft. Most people never achieve this level of proficiency in their trade, whatever it may be.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) operated machines can learn in moments what it takes a human being to learn over a lifetime. It is projected that by 2050, AI operated machines will outperform humans in every field.
It begs the question of whether human craftsmanship will disappear, or will human craftsmanship; excellence of execution, become more valuable as ‘the gold standard’ of human authenticity.
The Origins of Craft
The origins of craft are the center of human civilization. Humans have always been creating things. Objects of utility, and objects of adornment for our person, and our living spaces. However, this is a very narrow, primarily modern western civilization definition of ‘craft’ as something associated with ‘hand made’ objects as set apart from works fashioned in the mind.
This interpretation has trapped the word ‘craft’ and its broader total human context stigmatizing it as representing classes of society; those who work with their hands, the physical laborers or ‘working class’, vs. those who work with their minds; the university educated upper class; or intelligentsia. The elite vs the commoner.
This narrow interpretation obscures another history. One in which ‘craft’ and ‘craftsmanship’ are understood as defining the focus of a particular human endeavor (i.e.) the craft one is applied toward, and the level of proficiency one has achieved in the endeavor; one’s craftsmanship.
In this alternative history no distinction is made regarding which portions of the human anatomy are engaged in the execution of the tasks, or the focus and materials engaged in the material output of the result of the craftwork.
Attention and recognition came to those who performed at the highest levels of proficiency in the craft. To this day, craft-masters ‘takumi’ are still honored with recognition among practitioners and admirers alike.
Levels
Throughout history the idea of ‘craft’ across the cultures of the world has been understood as transcending levels of competence acquired through thousands of hours of practice, performing tasks over and over again to incrementally improve one’s performance.
It is a commitment to shaping oneself into a living tool capable of ‘outputting’ a finished work in whatever medium one is working, which meets or exceeds the expectations and standards of three principal audiences; oneself, one’s peers in the craft, and end users of the result; the work itself.
The Search for a Deeper Purpose
Out of the process of continuous practice, improvement, exploration and discovery of one’s capabilities in a craft, often there comes a realization of purpose or meaning in oneself.
The result of the incremental shaping taking place in one’s inner and outer being as pressure (i.e.) focused energy is applied during the process of performing the craft.
Like a dancer, each person moves in synchronized flow in the performance of their craft eventually becoming indistinguishable from the craft itself. The craftsperson and the craft are becoming one and the same.
The Bottom of the Dish
It is said by pottery takumi, that looking at the dish or bowl from the top reveals its useful purpose, but looking at the foot on the bottom of the dish reveals the craftsman, for it is the hardest part of the object to create. It reveals the craftsman’s age, their years of experience, even what they were thinking when they made it.
Unlike works output by machines which are exact replicas of the model they are based on, the process of human work is unique every time. Each time someone delivers a finished result, the process path was slightly different.
In time, these paths merge, overlap, intersect and create new ways of thinking and doing. Innovation is conceived. The rules of tradition are made new.
Leaving Your Mark
A tradesman’s or craftsman’s mark in some cultures is well recognized while in others, it is considered superfluous to the work itself. The work product was the ‘mark’ to be recognized. This meant others had to be well versed in discerning the characteristics of any particular work product to recognize the craftsperson behind it.
For other communities, the visible mark left on the work product no matter what the medium, made it easier for a wider audience to recognize and seek out works produced by an original source.
Whether your mark is the work product which speaks for itself, or a visible symbol (aka) brand name or symbol applied to your work product, it is your responsibility and a pleasure to learn and improve your skills, and the quality of your work. Every day. This is the legacy of ‘takumi’.
Comments