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A Craftsmans Legacy
A Craftsmans Legacy: Why Working with Our Hands Gives Us Meaning | Jon Sternfeld, Eric Gorges
6 posts | 4 read | 1 to read
The host of TVs A Craftsmans Legacy makes the case that the craftsmans way--the philosophy, the skills, and the mindset--can provide a helpful blueprint for all of us in our increasingly hurried, mass-manufactured world. Today, even as so many of us spend hours in front of screens and in the virtual world, there is a growing movement that recognizes the power in the personal, the imperfect, the handmade. Eric Gorges, a metal shaper, taps into that hunger to get back to whats real through visits with the fellow artisans he has profiled for his popular public television program. In this book, he tells their stories and shares the collective wisdom of calligraphers, potters, stone carvers, glassblowers, engravers, wood workers, and more while celebrating the culture theyve created. Filled with insights about the physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects of craftsmanship, A Craftsmans Legacy identifies the craftsmans shared values: taking time to slow down and enjoy the process, embracing failure, knowing when to stop and when to push through, and accepting that perfection is an illusion. Gorges extols the benefits of getting out of ones comfort zone and the importance of learning the traditions of the past in order to carry those values into the future. Along the way, Gorges tells his own story about leaving the corporate world to focus on what he loves. This is a book for seekers of all kinds, an exhilarating look into the heart and soul of modern-day makers--and how they can inspire us all.
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Pickpick

An interesting look at all types of craft, from metal to wood to clay and even handwriting. Gorges talks to and works with calligraphers, potters, stone carvers, glassblowers, engravers, woodworkers and more and looks at how the act of creating changes you. He also looks at dealing with failure, the search for perfection, and working through both triumph and grief. Didn‘t realize there was a tv show, but it sounds like it‘d be good.

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perfectsinner
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Pickpick

*I won this book through Goodreads Giveaways*
Eric Gorges' A Craftsman's Legacy that is based off his PBS show of the same name.
He made a book profiling and writing about many of the same people featured on his show.
Being a curious kid playing around with spare wood & metal in his basement, to suffering panic attacks and leaving a cushy job at Xerox, he felt he was called to do something with his hands-- he was called to create.

perfectsinner See my full review at Goodreads. It's ridiculous you can't really write reviews here. 450 characters, really!! Litsy, you need to fix this, stat. 5y
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Kaylamburson
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Pickpick

I often look at handcrafted goods and think that I could never create something so beautiful, but as Gorges astutely states in his book, "everyone has a day one."

This is the perfect book for anyone who feels stuck and needs inspiration to find their next path, or just needs a reminder that you can do anything if you go out and start trying.

Crazeedi Yes I agree with the title, doing something with my hands, cooking, sewing, crafting brings great satisfaction and pleasure 5y
Kaylamburson Yes, it really does! And you feel so accomplished when you finish it, too. 5y
Crazeedi @Kaylamburson exactly 👍💖 5y
72 likes4 comments
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Kaylamburson
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A perfect quote for those of us who are afraid to fail or are struggling to bounce-back after a failure.

"You only know how to fix things from messing then up in the first place. If you're afraid to fail, then you'll never get anywhere."

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Kaylamburson
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There are so many powerful quotes in this ARC of A Craftman's Legacy where Gorges talks about his own journey as well as the journey of many craftsmen from jewelry-makers, to calligraphy artists, welders, and more.

This quote talks about leaving behind a legacy.

"It's not a passive thing, like what is accidentally left behind. It's what you *choose* to share with the future. There's intention behind it and that intention matters."