Crafty
I cringe when I hear someone called "crafty", and I doubt I will ever feel comfortable using the word on someone who does crafts. This is one of those situations where common misuse legitimizes an error, like the modern spelling of "donut". What was once improper becomes not only accepted, but more commonly used than the original. Language changes with use. It is alive that way, and I fully accept that describing someone as crafty now means that they either enjoy doing crafts or excel at them, or some combination of the two. It just doesn't sit right that way in my vocabulary.
When I first encountered the word, it didn't apply to crafts at all. If you were good with your hands or inclined to crochet, whittle or make collages, people might say you were creative, talented or industrious. To say you were crafty would be mildly insulting. It meant you were up to something, something that probably had little to do with yarn or glitter- unless you were also creative, talented and industrious. The dictionary I most frequently use only refers to subtlety, cunning or guile, though newer ones might nod to the modern use. In a way, the definitions are related. A crafty person is likely to cleverly plan their mischief. They craft a plot, then execute it, just as handicrafts require planning and dexterity to accomplish.
Accomplishment is the key concept, too. Those who engage in craft hobbies are doing so in order to accomplish. They make things not because they really need another macaroni angel or bauble or tea cozy, but because they want to know they can do it. It's reassuring and soothing to the spirit, despite the occasional grumbling that may accompany the act. Attaching the head to a yellow construction paper duck in kindergarten was serious work, and frustrating, but I have a clear memory of the pride I felt when I finally got it to stick. The journey to the goal is a pattern woven into our human nature.
Crafts, or cooking, or tinkering with mechanical things are hobbies that produce tangible results. They require skills that might come in handy in a physical way. We might have to knit a scarf to keep warm, for example. The case can be made that practicing those skills hones them for someday. But humans seek less tangible accomplishments, too. We read mysteries, do crossword puzzles or tend imaginary crops. It might seem illogical to say these things are instinctive since they have no obvious benefit to our survival, but they do fall into the same category of satisfying the craving for accomplishment. I would argue they contribute to survival as well. Mankind is always practicing. We play and replay that journey to the goal. We use skills to create, and we use our minds to solve problems, all prompted by the innate need to reach the goal. Our minds recognize the accomplishments and reward us with confidence. Skills, sharp minds, and confidence all make us more capable of survival. What seems like simple fun is instinctual exercise.
Here we are back at that troublesome definition. At the heart of it, "crafty" implies a cleverness. Despite the negative connotations, it is all about an active, ready mind. In that case, maybe it's not so far a stretch to call a skillful hobbyist crafty.
When I first encountered the word, it didn't apply to crafts at all. If you were good with your hands or inclined to crochet, whittle or make collages, people might say you were creative, talented or industrious. To say you were crafty would be mildly insulting. It meant you were up to something, something that probably had little to do with yarn or glitter- unless you were also creative, talented and industrious. The dictionary I most frequently use only refers to subtlety, cunning or guile, though newer ones might nod to the modern use. In a way, the definitions are related. A crafty person is likely to cleverly plan their mischief. They craft a plot, then execute it, just as handicrafts require planning and dexterity to accomplish.
Accomplishment is the key concept, too. Those who engage in craft hobbies are doing so in order to accomplish. They make things not because they really need another macaroni angel or bauble or tea cozy, but because they want to know they can do it. It's reassuring and soothing to the spirit, despite the occasional grumbling that may accompany the act. Attaching the head to a yellow construction paper duck in kindergarten was serious work, and frustrating, but I have a clear memory of the pride I felt when I finally got it to stick. The journey to the goal is a pattern woven into our human nature.
Crafts, or cooking, or tinkering with mechanical things are hobbies that produce tangible results. They require skills that might come in handy in a physical way. We might have to knit a scarf to keep warm, for example. The case can be made that practicing those skills hones them for someday. But humans seek less tangible accomplishments, too. We read mysteries, do crossword puzzles or tend imaginary crops. It might seem illogical to say these things are instinctive since they have no obvious benefit to our survival, but they do fall into the same category of satisfying the craving for accomplishment. I would argue they contribute to survival as well. Mankind is always practicing. We play and replay that journey to the goal. We use skills to create, and we use our minds to solve problems, all prompted by the innate need to reach the goal. Our minds recognize the accomplishments and reward us with confidence. Skills, sharp minds, and confidence all make us more capable of survival. What seems like simple fun is instinctual exercise.
Here we are back at that troublesome definition. At the heart of it, "crafty" implies a cleverness. Despite the negative connotations, it is all about an active, ready mind. In that case, maybe it's not so far a stretch to call a skillful hobbyist crafty.
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