Sometimes I'm a snob, but it's not malicious (part 1)

* CW: briefly mentioned, sexual assault. To skip read the first sentence of this paragraph, then the last sentence of the same paragraph. Then there’s no more mention of the offender.

So I was thinking about this post I saw about “Beef” actor David Choe. It recently came out that several years ago Choe had a podcast where he described a sexual assault encounter he perpetuated against a masseuse. (I don’t know all the details tbh, so if anything is wrong, well my bad.) He’s since said that it wasn’t true and that the story was made up. I can’t verify whether or not that’s true. He're’s all I know. Apparently on said podcast he had created a “character” where he is tell these “stories” that were just awful. Again I don’t know, I’ve never heard this podcast. Anyways. This post isn’t actually about him, but I wanted to give context of the stream of thoughts that came up. SO I saw this post that said “he doesn’t deserve the title of artist” or something like that. My thoughts went as such:

• Whether or not he’s a predator does not change whether or not he’s an artist. MANY of the “greatest” artists are also predators, abusers, etc. This particular commentary is weird. *For the record, David Choe IS actually an artist. If you watched the show he did all the title cards for each episode. He’s apparently well known as a painter. His history and whether or not we should support him is a different conversation than whether or not he’s an artist.

• Which reminded me of two other conversations I’ve had about art 1. With an old aquaintance where I explained my feelings that “just because you have access to art supplies does NOT mean you’re an artist” and how this is one area where I become a snob. 2. One with a former friend where she basically said that you’re NOT an artist unless you sell your art, otherwise you’re a hobbyist. To me that negates the entire PURPOSE of art. We pay artists so that they can live and eat and their art can be sustainable, but paying them for their art does NOT give their art value.

• This then brought me back around to conversation 1 (which happened years after conversation 2 actually, but we’re following my trian of thought here, so it is what it is). And I started thinking about the difference between art, craft, and crafty.

And now we’re here.

So what do I definite as the differences between art, craft, and crafty? Well, I’ll tell you. But first I want to state that each has it’s own place and merit. I just think that understanding which is which helps us meter our expectations and engagement.

Let’s start with craft. Craft is the in between of art and crafty. Craft is when you combine skill and talent to create useful things. Woodworkers who create kitchen tools, furniture, etc. Metalsmiths that create jewelry, etc. Fiber artists who create homegoods, clothing, etc. Ceramacists that create plates, mugs, pottery, etc. And so on and so on. Craft is the hands on practical side of industrial design. It’s not just ideas and it’s not just stuff. It’s honing skills to create special pieces that will hopefully last for a long while. Craft is rooted in a tradition. Craft is rooted in the past, the idea that all people have a specific job, and if we all do our job, all the needs will be met. Craft are things that can be passed on through apprenticeship or from parent/ guardian to child, and so on. I will add that sometimes craft, can still be purely for aesthetics, but the level of skill required to create goes beyond crafty.

Pros: Each thing create innately becomes one of a kind. Expressions of skill and talent. Craft creates family heirlooms. Craft is human. You can always see the human hand in each piece. Aesthetic + function. Craft has a full blown market. (Shop small/ Buy local)

Cons: People don’t always want to pay craftspeople their worth, because they don’t understand craft vs accessibility via big box stores. You gotta hustle to make it sustainable for your lifestyle.

*Example of craft:

These items took macrame and made them functional. These items require more skill, more knowledge. They provide aesthetic AND function.

Crafty, is a diminutive of craft. It stems from the same idea of creating with your own hands. The joy of knowing that YOU made that. But crafty doesn’t require skill OR talent. Crafty just requires access to art supplies. But people are natural creators so crafty allows all people to tap into that creative energy without excessive effort. Crafty requires access to the library (for books, etc) or the internet (Youtube, tiktok, etc) so that you can quickly access someone else’s knowledge to create a quick project.

Pros: It’s for any and everyone. It’s easy, it’s fun. It gives a sense of pride to know you did something you didn’t think you could. Creates aeshetic. Crafty can sell.

Cons: It can potentially be wasteful. Crafty doesn’t usually have a purpose, so you accumulate things that ultimately create more waste. If you don’t have the proper knowledge, it can be extremely hazardous to your health. (I’m thinking specifically, in both cases, of resin projects. Resin is a plastic that doesn’t degrade easily, so basically it just sits there, forever. AND if you don’t find the correct tutorial, you won’t know that you need to wear a heavy duty mask and stay in well ventilated areas.) Crafty isn’t for folks who want to be minimalists.

*Example of crafty:

Example of a perfectly fine piece of macrame. It serves the purpose of being pleasing to the eye. It’s purely decorative. I could watch a youtube/ tiktok tutorial and learn how to do this.

Finally art. Art is the combination of talent + skill + something else. Maybe soul, maybe purpose, maybe something else all together. It likely depends on the artist. Generally speaking art is compulsory. The artists I know, as well as myself, all feel that we HAVE to create otherwise we never fully feel whole. There are lots of people who have skill but are not artists. (Consider folks that are really good at recreating the work of others, but are unable to create their own original works.) And there are folks that have talent, but are also, not artists. These are people that they can do things, but don’t feel compelled to do so. Or maybe they just come from enough privilege they’re allowed to explore their talents. Often art comes with purpose and the goal of a lesson of some sort. It could be to tell a story, to share an experience, it could be to simply expose people to the idea of what art can be. Art is inherently political. EVEN if you set out to create art that is not overtly political in message, THAT in and of itself is political. And it becomes even more so if you are BIPOC. Art is often craft on a different scale, which varies from artist to artist. Art doesn’t usually serve a practical purpose, like you wouldn’t physically interact with it on a regular basis. The purpose is more about intent, etc.

Pros: The arts infuse every single facet of life. It’s long lasting. It’s the human existence. It’s living history (which is why one of the first things conquering groups do is destroy art and libraries of conquered communities). Art is subjective. Usually sparks some sort of conversation.

Cons: Art requires more effort, more time, more everything. They are devalued until the “right” person says it’s important. People often confuse artists with being “crafty”. Art is subjective. Usually sparks some sort of conversation.

*Example of art:

This is the work of Jacqueline Surdell. This takes the talent and skill (craft) of macrame and enlarges the scale, and history, and purpose. (Read her "about” to get a glimpse into her practice.)

This piece is part of a two person installation called “Assymetry”. Learn more.

Understanding the difference between crafty, craft, and art will help people determine which category they want to fall into. Knowing where you want to be informs how much effort and time you need to expend to to get there. Crafty can be done in as little as 5 minutes. Craft takes extensive time to hone skills and talent. To create your lane within your craft. To build up a body of offerings. To build up clients, and so on. Art never stops. Most artists have been creating since before they could speak and never really stop. It may morph and change shape, but they never, voluntarily, stop creating.

I think of my son. He is truly an artist. He’s been drawing EVERY day, since he was about 1 year old. He used to draw on every surface until we kept him in a steady supply of notebooks and paper. As a teen he’s upgraded and has been teaching himself to draw on his computer. These are things we never had to force and he does of his own free will. As a small child he used to create these vivid and ecstatic drawings, that if you didn’t watch him make them, you’d think they were just scribbles. But basically he was creating movies in his drawings and he would draw each scene over the last, until there was no more space to draw. He’s spent his 14 years honing his skills by drawing every day. He’s spent his 14 years following his talent by continuing to draw every single day. One day he’ll decide which direction he wants to take and his art will develop. He’ll find his purpose and the stories he wants to tell. When he doesn’t know how to draw what he wants to draw he researches, on his own. As his parents we keep the home filled with books, art, movies, etc. We discuss with him the importance of the “worlds” he creates. When he needs more tools we do our best to get them for him.

These are drawings he did for a school project. Sadly he did them back to back, which is why he didn’t color them, because the color would bleed through.

So how does all this make me a snob? Well, for one when one gets confused with another I become HIGHLY irritated. And I often have quick reactions to the confusion that may come across much harsher than intended. But ultimately the annoyance isn’t with the individual, but more the systems that created the confusion, capitalism, racism, etc. In part 2 I’ll discuss my opinions of how art comes in different levels, and why we need to be clear of where we are when we’re discussing art with others.

*The images selected were selected randomly via an internet search. They are not meant to be derogatory in any way. They are used merely as visual aids to illustrate the differences between crafty, craft, and art.