200 words of handwork
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What is the role of hand and craft work in the unfolding of human and social development? This long, rhythmic process of development continues from early childhood into adulthood and on throughout life - a human being is in fact never complete, finished, as it were, with his or her development. A human being is continuously in the process of becoming. When and where such an attitude survives, is cultivated by parents as regards their children, teachers in respect of their classes and amongst adults generally in relationships with each other in daily life and work, only then, I believe, can there be a fertile foundation for the potential creativity in each individual.
In whichever area we work, there are certain intentions, attitudes to our work that can be shared, including an appreciation of each other. For those of us involved in handwork, craft or manual skills education, whatever the age of the pupil, student or trainee, we share in and bear witness to an area of activity that is uniquely human, namely that creativity of the human spirit which is carried out by our hand, perhaps the one organ that most differentiates us from all of the animal world.
In the animal realm there are of course numerous examples of fine and, to us, unobtainable achievements. Take for example a spider’s web or a bee’s honeycomb. These animals, however, all work within certain fixed parameters and the bee can only do what a bee can do. A human being, on the other hand, is not created to be fixed, patterned to a certain existence, stereo-typed in his or her movements. The body and hands are meant to be the instrument for the human spirit that seeks expression within the body and beyond it into the material world as revelation of itself.
Today, with technological achievements providing for our every need, practical involvement with the material world has all but terminated. There are now diminished opportunities in life for children and adults to be creative in their play or work. Not only do we forgo the joy and sense of achievement that making something can give us, but without the possibility to be creative there is limited or minimal access to the essential formative powers handwork can foster in the growing child and adult.
THE UNDERMINING OF THESE FORMATIVE POWERS
It was at first a relatively simple machine and tools that almost overnight changed our approach to life and work. The machine that has now largely replaced the hand can be seen in its actions as mimicking motor-activity. Today we have the smallest machine possible, a long way from the spinning jenny and the steam engine: the micro-chip. The brain function of man has now also been copied in the micro-chip. It forms the brain of the computerized machine so that with just a few adjustments this useful component can direct all manner of functions.
We know that practically every artifact used today can be made from oil derived plastics, in factories somewhere, by machine-minders whose chief quality is to survive a life of intense boredom. This is manifest where machine operators who can only respond in a mechanistic way to the commands of the machine by repetitive motor movements (actions), not lifted to the realm of skill, tire easily and cannot take real interest in their work. The basic need for meaningful work by which the individual can find expression and be of meaningful service to others, is scarcely met.
Toys and other artifacts produced in this way, and not as a result of the labor and love of the worker, take on a cold and uninviting appearance. Those who are surrounded by such a world of dead objects have little to please the eye, or in the case of the child’s toy, little to stimulate fantasy and develop imagination.
In such a situation, where the truly creative process of the maker or receiver is obstructed, how can willpower be transformed to beautiful shape? For beauty in an artifact or a toy depends on the nature and texture of the materials, combined with the skill and love with which it was created.
As a further and far reaching consequence to which we are all subject with the increasing proliferation of all manner of artifacts intended for the home, for use in school etc., we have almost no need any more to do anything ourselves, except be consumers of goods. There is very little incentive to be practical, let alone artistic in daily life, since someone, somewhere has thought of relieving me of my practical involvement by offering me, at competitive prices, just that product material response to meeting human needs, the sense for the artistic, that which is uplifting to the human mind, and the ability to be creative are in great danger of being lost.
It is interesting in this light to recall what Rudolf Steiner set as challenges to the teachers of the first Waldorf School:
• to awaken the artistic sense in the one who beholds
• to awaken the faculty of creativity itself.
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