Day 14: Words I hate: part one

"craft"

I fucking loathe people who use craft as a noun. As in, I'm practicing my craft, or working on my craft.

Craft has become one of those pseudo-intellectual, pseudo-meaningful words in pop culture (see also: authentic) used by actors, writers and other wanna-be creative types. Actually, that is one of the things that bugs me, the use of it by people who insist on describing themselves as 'creative'. As if they are the only fucking people in the world capable of creativity. As if my Mom wasn't creative in making a single salary stretch to meet the needs of three kids. It is the attitude of entitlement over the concept which bothers me. We are creative, and practice our craft--you just have a job. Fuck off. You have the time, energy and finances to work on your 'craft' because people like my Mom worked hard and creatively to give you have a better life than they had.

Not surprisingly, the connection of the word to actor and writer types doubles up on the pet peeve of people who describe themselves in essentialized terms, who are really describing an occupation. Generally, the lack of self understanding annoys me. And, not too surprisingly, this comes from my own journey of figuring myself out. I used to be wildly unaware of myself, how I was viewed by others and how I fit with social groups. Then I started to pull my head out of my ass, grew up a bit and then went overboard with declarations of self-actualization--re-inserted head in ass, if you will. And finally I've come back to a more reasonable position about my understanding of life. But, such are the wild pendulum swings of my learning process. Or, as Bruce Lee described it: "Before I knew the art I thought a punch was just a punch and a kick was just a kick. Once I learned the art I knew that a punch was more than a punch and a kick was more than a kick. Now that I understand the art, I know that a punch is just a punch and a kick is just a kick". So, as with all things in life--and definitely this blog--take my rants as self-soothing as much as anything. But back to craft.

Do yourselves, and me, a favour and practice your skills, work on your 'acting', 'writing' etc. Just stay away from words that seem grandiose, but are mostly smug and self absorbed. Unless you are practicing 'the' craft which is okay. Sure, it might mark you as a wingnut, but who doesn't love themselves a delightfully crazy person who worships D&D figures? I'll take a magic loving wingnut over a run of the mill narcissist any day.