Nate at Fading Words mentions a recent Harper's Article and wonders, "at some point, if EVERYONE is a knowledge worker and NO ONE actually makes anything... where are we at?"
Great question! I'd love to toss it around. On a very simple plane, isn't there something human about finding/taking pride in a creation? And is just me, or do actual, physical creations hold a certain value over creations "in our head" or even digital creations?
I've personally felt this from time to time. I've had jobs (still do) where I can think/dream up ideas, plans, and modes of storytelling, etc.., but when it comes to physically creating something to be part of that idea or plan, I'm completely dependant on someone who can actually do something from the work of their hands! Sounds dramatic, but it's close to the truth. While I've enjoyed the reliance on a community to pull something off (recently heard Jonathan Demme, Director of Rachel Getting Married describe the innovative way the film came together - new types of collaboration in film - called it something close to "collective invention" - interesting!), I still feel like I'm missing out on the intangible value of crafting and making the thing (any thing) on my own.
That's a tangent, but a piece of knowledge work vs. craft work. Thoughts?
Recent Comments