Future proofing craft-driven work
I think the idea that creativity won’t be automated away, or that creators won’t get disrupted, is a bit misleading. It’s common to assume that only repetitive tasks are at risk. This causes some people to believe that learning a creative craft of a certain medium or form is enough -- for instance, learning to be a great writer or coder or photographer or video producer.
Just one problem: craft-driven work is no longer about just the craft. That’s the foundation, certainly, but the foundation is getting easier and easier to pour, as barriers to learning a craft have been obliterated, and the practice needed to master a craft is now enhanced by new and cheap tools — not to mention, the ability to launch side projects and reach an audience directly (the best form of practice) no longer requires gatekeepers.
All of this means that knowing the craft itself is no longer sufficient. The freelance writer who positions themselves as merely a person who is available when you need words (a “writer monkey” as my friend Sarah Greesonbach calls it) is a commodity. Whatever your craft, it’s time to go beyond merely mastering it. You have too much competition and too much automation chewing at the margins to win on competency alone. So where do we each go next in order to continue earning a living on our craft?
Inward, then outward.
Inward: We need to combine the mastery of our craft with curiosity, taste, and a point of view.
Outward: We then need to be vocal and create content based on our combination of craft + curiosity + taste + a point of view. This then creates a useful sort of friction for us, bringing SOME people all the way into our corners and repelling the wrong type of clients, employers, and/or audience.
Craft is the foundation. The foundation is easier than ever to pour. It’s always been mandatory to thrive, but now more than ever, it’s table stakes to just survive. The good news is, it’s easier for you to learn and practice building that foundation than ever.
But to really build a lasting career creating stuff, we must all couple mastery of craft with a willingness to follow our curiosity, asking questions google can’t answer. We must bring our creative taste into the work and not try to fit the molds formed by conventional wisdom. And then, once we’ve mastered our craft, used it to pursue our curiosity, executing through our own unique vision and taste, we can finally get loud about our point of view on things.
THAT is who will last. THAT is who will create the most positive change in this world.
Craft + curiosity + taste + a point of view. That’s how craft-driven work will not only survive the onslaught of endless competition and automation, but thrive.
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