It's a craft, not an art form

Reading Anothony Bourdain’s amazing book Kitchen Confidential, and this quote caught my eye:

Cooking is a craft, I like to think, and a good cook is a craftsman—not an artist. There’s nothing wrong with that: the great cathedrals of Europe were built by craftsmen—though not desigend by them. Practicing your craft in expert fashion is noble, honorable and satisfying. And I’ll generally take a stand-up mercenary who takes pride in his professionalism over an artist any day. When I hear "artist," I think of someone who doesn’t think it necessary to show up at work on time. More often than not artists’ efforts, convinced as they are of their own genius, are geared more to giving themselves a hard-on than satisfying the great majority of dinner customers.

The same clearly goes for people in the software business. We’re here to serve a purpose for our customers, not to engage in self-expression.

I’ve met particularly many graphic designers prone to artistry, which makes me even happier that I’ve found Sille, a true craftswoman.