Last summer I had the incredible privilege to be the Presidential Guest Speaker at the ASSH (American Society for Surgery of the Hand) convention in Boston. Dr Jeff Greenburg was the residing president (an incredible surgeon and pretty good woodworker, too). He had asked me two years previously to be his guest speaker and wanted me to share what it means to have the “Soul of a Craftsman”. What I thought would be an easy topic, became a challenging subject. For starters, “craftsman” or “craftsmanship” is a gender-neutral word that can apply to anyone who is highly skilled. Typically, we think of craftsmanship as referring to an electrician, plumber, mechanic, blacksmith, or woodworker. But can’t an artist, poet, athlete, musician, chef, or surgeon be referred to as a “craftsman” as well? Who qualifies to be a “craftsman”? More importantly, what does craftsmanship mean? I often tell people that my staff and instructors are among the best “craftsmen” of modern time. By what means can I make that statement?

When combining two distinct words into one, they have a blended meaning, which is the case with “Craft” and “Manship” or “craftmanship.” Craft can be defined as an activity involving skill, making, fixing, or executing through manual dexterity. “Manship” means to have mastery in a specific trade or belong to a society or membership in some association or occupation. Together these two independent words work together to define a particular type of work. The word “craftsmanship” doesn’t have to be that complicated, but I was making a presentation to a group of some of the best surgeons in the world and it was important to me that they realize they are, by definition, “craftsmen”. Clearly surgeons are highly skilled with their minds and hands working in unison to achieve recovery and healing. Not unlike luthiers using their minds and hands to make instruments that achieve beautiful sounds.

The other part of that presentation was the harder to explain, but to me, far more important. That was the “soul” of a craftsman. Our soul speaks of our life in our own experiences and causes us to think and reason. Our soul is often referred to as our “moral compass” and keeps us grounded in daily life. It guides us to pursue our passions. This is where our soul connects to craftsmanship. Everyone has a soul, but that doesn’t mean everyone is a craftsman. For me, I believe the soul of a craftsman is fulfilled when the Creative Spirit is involved.

Our Creative Spirit is a blessing from God, the ultimate Creator. The Holy Bible starts with “In the beginning God CREATED…” He wasn’t thinking or reading or contemplating or learning…. HE was creating! A little further on we learn that God created man in His own image. Creating, making, or fixing items is written on our DNA, we are programed to create! Our creative spirit is what brings the soul of a craftsmanship full circle. It allows us to embrace the joy of crafting with our own hands, heart and mind. It is the creative channel in which God’s creative energy is manifested in us. But God didn’t stop there, He also gave us the experience of being emotionally moved by the skill and talent of others.

Thirty plus years ago, that same creative spirit led me to start a craft school in the middle of a corn field (and some say God doesn’t have a sense of humor). From the very beginning, the soul of a craftsman and the creative spirit have lived in harmony at MASW. I see it in the paintings by Gabriel Lehman and Dru Blair, or the glass marbles made by Mark Matthews. The creative spirit exists when brilliant furniture makers like Michael Fortune, Garrett Hack, Jeff Headley and Steve Hamilton share their gifts unselfishly. Watching wood turners like Hans Weissflog, Jimmy Clewes, Nick Agar and Alan Lacer turn with incredible perfection is inspirational. Listening to the astonishing guitarist Matt Thomas who last summer gave a special performance just for the students at MASW or hearing Graham Blackburn play saxophone with the same passion as when he played with Van Morrision, were treasured experiences. Holding one of Michael Dubber’s flawlessly engraved Colt guns or trying to wrap your mind around the twists and turns of one of Michael Cooper’s sculptures just before it goes on permanent collection at a major museum creates a memory that will last a lifetime.

It was an honor to be the guest speaker at the ASSH convention, (although I still question Dr Greenburg’s judgment). As I completed that talk, and walked from the stage it hit me, I have spent my life following in the footsteps of remarkable instructors, extraordinary students and a brilliant staff, all of whom have contributed to my understanding of what it means to have the “soul of a craftsman”. I am thankful that the creative spirit has helped me realize that Craftsmanship is the marriage between the “Hands and the Soul”, one of the great treasures in life.