A Question of Craftsmanship

Craftsmanship is a perception. It is a tool that can be manipulated. Skill is the piece that we long to experience in a work of art or a piece of music. Craftsmanship is merely the practice of applying the skill. Like an incredible musician on an instrument can use effects to distort or muddy the sound. A great artist can apply layers of information to simplify or complicate an inherent skill. If you look at a painting by a master artist you can see the layers of application. You can begin to detect the pieces that make the bigger picture possible. This is where craftsmanship can be found. Each brush stroke, texture and color has a purpose. The application technique also adds information. However, craftsmanship is often held to a certain perceived standard. People have preconceptions of what they feel something should be, however, that perception is also an artist's tool. If one does not see craftsmanship, it does not mean that it does not exist. The creative process is ever flowing and artists create within that flow. Sometimes intention plays a role, but often there are little moments of unintended beauty that an artist does not intend to happen. These moments can either be erased or accepted. So I ask how do we allow ourselves to judge the practice of applying a skill instead of accepting that things can be beautiful as they are? I believe that the craftsmanship of compassion is at the heart of how we peel back the layers to find the real perception. Below is a link to check out some isolated tracks from popular songs. These tracks show the frailty of simple and complex moments that build the music they inhabit.
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