Andy is clearly still reading here. He answered you: https://twitter.com/CraftyCatDad/status/1677476387157078017
"In this era of Monetize Everything, I feel like the difference between a hobby and a craft is getting lost, as are the difference between the fine arts and the artisan trades.
A hobby is about joy. Fuck gatekeeping, if you’re having fun, you’re doing it right. You can take all the time in the world, do it on vibes, whatever. It’s for you, maybe shared w people you live, whether you’re raw beginner or world-class master.
A craft is a job skill. You may enjoy it - it’s great if you do - but you are making X things to Y standard in Z time and getting paid to do so by someone who gets to determine if you’re good enough to earn the price you ask.
The fine arts are about expression. It may be ultra-realistic, totally abstract, anything in between, but the purpose is to communicate a vision or concept YOUR way, even if you have a patron or sell your work.
An artisan trade requires artistic SKILLS, but it’s a career producing a product, often of someone else’s design, often several identical things, and your vision at most features as a stylistic flair and can be overridden.
Is there overlap? Sure! But I see a lot of one being judged as the other or people being pressured by the standards of something they aren’t doing. I’m a craftsman. I also have hobbies, rarely do art, but I have artistic SKILLS that pay my bills by making things.
I don’t sew/make for fun (I cook, write, decorate the house, etc) & I literally lost grade points in college for not having any real artistic vision. But damn I can sure Make The Thing You Want. That’s ok, & so is someone doing the same for pure fun & never making a $ from it."
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"In this era of Monetize Everything, I feel like the difference between a hobby and a craft is getting lost, as are the difference between the fine arts and the artisan trades.
A hobby is about joy. Fuck gatekeeping, if you’re having fun, you’re doing it right. You can take all the time in the world, do it on vibes, whatever. It’s for you, maybe shared w people you live, whether you’re raw beginner or world-class master.
A craft is a job skill. You may enjoy it - it’s great if you do - but you are making X things to Y standard in Z time and getting paid to do so by someone who gets to determine if you’re good enough to earn the price you ask.
The fine arts are about expression. It may be ultra-realistic, totally abstract, anything in between, but the purpose is to communicate a vision or concept YOUR way, even if you have a patron or sell your work.
An artisan trade requires artistic SKILLS, but it’s a career producing a product, often of someone else’s design, often several identical things, and your vision at most features as a stylistic flair and can be overridden.
Is there overlap? Sure! But I see a lot of one being judged as the other or people being pressured by the standards of something they aren’t doing. I’m a craftsman. I also have hobbies, rarely do art, but I have artistic SKILLS that pay my bills by making things.
I don’t sew/make for fun (I cook, write, decorate the house, etc) & I literally lost grade points in college for not having any real artistic vision. But damn I can sure Make The Thing You Want. That’s ok, & so is someone doing the same for pure fun & never making a $ from it."