The Quiet Renaissance of Craft

Colin Bridge, the writer, who notes that he "peaked at 13."

A quarter of the way through the 21st century, we stand surrounded by slop. We are near-universally severed from the tangible creation of things. Instead, our productivity is abstracted to emails, spreadsheets, and Word documents. Most manufacturing of the things around us has been offshored, and, wherever it occurs, it is devoid of craft. This is our Faustian bargain for greater efficiency.

This is far from an original observation but simply the evolution of processes ongoing since the industrial revolution. A beautiful neologism captures the essence of this phenomenon: enshittification.

Yet, as generative AI threatens the realms of artists and hoodwinks our sense of what is real, something peculiar is quietly occurring under the radar.

We are bearing witness to what I identify as a renaissance of traditional craft.

There have been a few (often faltering) attempts at preserving traditional artisanry and modes of living, seen by the Foxfire books and the back-to-the-landers. And there has always been the old guys working as tinsmiths and coopers at living history museums. I think this is a different current.

From something vestigial springs something new and vital.

It’s one of the most optimistic outcomes of the internet – information exchanged among global amateurs, artists, and craftspeople, allowing anyone to jump into trades that were historically learned through multi-year apprenticeships.

This revival extends beyond mere reconstruction. Innovation and boundary-pushing now occur in trades recently on life support. A glance at The Anvil, the publication of the Artist-Blacksmiths Association of North America, demonstrates this development within the craft of blacksmithing. Similarly, craft-forms such as armour or sword-smithing are reaching artistic and technical heights not in the 15th century, but among hobbyists in the 21st.

There are numerous opportunities for the craft-conscientious Weldonite to support local artisans or start creating things with their own hands.

We have never been more bombarded with digital images, but Correia Photo elevates photography back into a physical medium with her tintype photographs. If that’s not enough turn-of-the-century energy, Ocean View Typewriters set up shop on the South Shore restoring manual typewriters. Those who know me know that my 1937 Remington typewriter is my prized possession, as both an antique and a creative outlet.

Fibre crafts are a great place to start for a Weldonite with idle hands. I was imbued with a new respect for the labour-value of garments after spending hours with a crochet needle, to end up with a fraction of a scarf. Gaspereau Valley Fibres, Taproot Fibres, and Lismore Sheep Farm are three Nova Scotian producers of yarns and garments.

I encourage everyone to reflect on what they buy, and from where it’s sourced. Nova Scotia is blessed with an abundant antique and second-hand market, on top of numerous artisans practicing their trades. The best source may even be your own hands.

Not everyone is in a position to practice conscientious consumption, but I encourage those who are to seek out the quiet resurgence of traditional crafts—if nothing else, it’s an inspiring story of resiliency. Small choices can steer us towards joy, and towards a more beautiful, unique, and less exploitive world.