We Are the Craftsmen

I had some time to pass while waiting the other evening so managed to read two really short books. (I am an extremely slow reader so they were really short!) The two were quite well linked in terms of content and the message flowed from the one to the next, almost seamlessly. I wanted to share some gems from my reading in this blog.

The first reading introduced something called "the flow state". This is explained as the state you enter when you are doing something and time almost seems to stand still or fade away; your focus is so intense it is "superhuman intense"; the work you do seems effortless and at the same time energises and satisfies you.

The book asked questions like, when last did you experience such a state and what were you doing?

I know when I do coding, I enter this "flow state" as it just seems to be an extension of my self and I can spend hours in that state and find it extremely satisfying (when it compiles and executes as intended). Perhaps I missed my calling...  Can you recall your "flow state"?

The next book was titled "Your Move" by CJ Casciotta and there were some paragraphs that really jumped off the page and I'll copy them here as I wouldn't do them justice by rewriting in my own words.  You will see that there is a musical metaphor running through this boom which of course appealed to me but I am sure you can see the intended symbolism with your dreams and goals.

"You can keep a tune in your head your entire life but until you scratch the notes out on paper and play it, it will never come to life."

"...symphonies start with movements, and movements start with measures, and measures start with chords, and chords start with a single note."

"...I am convinced there are a million creations sitting at the bottom of an ocean of souls begging to be explored, recovered, polished, and treasured, if we could only dive deep enough to hear their cries."

We have been so conditioned by being mature and grounded that the imagination of our youth has been buried in unattainable depths, instead of being allowed to flourish and sprout into wonderful, fantastic creations. We are so busy planning and preparing for tomorrow that we lose out on today. "...the investment we were hoping for was fixed on the future, at the neglect of the present."

"Truly skilled makers don't just make the tangible; they have somehow learned to create the unseen as well. They resolve to become experts at crafting space while carving away comparison, geniuses at smoothing away lies and doubt while sealing in silence and solitude, understanding that this type of craftsmanship is vital to the health and sustainability of their vision."  I wish every task I undertook had the same craftsmanship as described in that paragraph. It becomes a work of art rather than just another deliverable. I imagine if this wish was attainable then every task would become a "flow state" task and a permanent state of nirvana could be achieved.

I watched a documentary and was struck by two individuals who were so satisfied with their jobs that they could not say enough about how great it was and how proud they were to be doing what they were doing. One was sheeting/cladding installer on buildings and the other was a dent remover for a ship building company. Now, I wouldn't have been so enthralled doing either of those jobs but they had such passion for their work and understood that their contribution was extremely important and were proud they could be involved. They have learned to see the real craftsmanship where I only saw a task. Perhaps we should stop for a second, look at our own crafts and skills and appreciate the unique craftsmanship we have to offer.

"You matter. It matters. We belong to a world split into a million fragments, trampled by news clips and sound bites all reinforcing a hopeless future. We desperately need to hear music again, the kind only you can bring. We don't care if it's quiet at first. We could use a little less noise. let the symphony begin. We're waiting to hear you."

'Nicks' and 'Gashes'

One man's hovel may be another man's castle.

There's a fit for everyone. What you may value, may not necessarily be what your neighbour values. This is probably more prevalent in South Africa with the broad cultural and economic base we have. The variety of cars we drive is probably an easy example to demonstrate this, although fashion, homes, social tier and cell phones are equally good examples. I cannot logically spend more than the cost of my house on my car. That's my internal reference control measure of acceptability. Others may see the car as an extremely important representation of themselves to the world and can therefore justify sacrificing on other areas of expenditure or be willing to live in debt.
The point is, that we have different reference levels based on our make-up and individual experiences and needs. Similarly, our response to stress is no different. One man's minor upset could be a real life-changing event for another. "We were planning to have peach cobbler for dessert with our guests but the grocer ran out of peaches." For someone who places huge importance on an event being just perfect, down to matching the colour of the napkins and table decorations to what is being served, this could be a major stress in their life. For someone who doesn't eat every day, this would be of little concern, as what ever is available is a blessing to them.

How have you set up your stress measure control?
A cut on your toe will get very little attention when you have a gaping wound on your chest.

What happens when you have a major event going on that raises your level of stress? How much stress can you actually deal with? The event I am speaking of is in the magnitude of job insecurity, health complications and personal safety or rather lack thereof. No peach cobbler type issues, those are the nicks-on-your-toe type events in comparison.
Unfortunately I don't have the answer for everyone, but I can only suggest that you make sure you are monitoring exactly what it is that is putting you under stress.

• Categorise them. Label them "nicks" or "gashes" so you know what needs your attention. 
• Talk about them with someone you trust. An alternative viewpoint may just reveal that some of those "gashes" aren't really as serious as you perceived them to be. 
• Make an action plan for the gashes and park the nicks until you feel you have enough of the gashes resolved. Having a plan to deal with the stress will give you some affirmation that there is a way forward. Even if it is a long-term plan, it is far better to focus on the path leading to the solution than just staring at the problem, compounding your stress. Give the plan more attention than the actual stress.
• Stress has a significant effect on one's body, especially if for prolonged periods, so find something that you enjoy doing that can replenish your "happy hormones". And I have to mention it, exercise and a healthy way of eating will also help to restore serotonin that is released by the body to deal with stress.

If you are fortunate enough to not be going through a major event, then don't treat the "nicks" as "gashes". As inconvenient and uncomfortable as they may be, they are still only nicks. Don't elevate them just because they can take you focus at this point. Save your energy and efforts for when the real gashes come.