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To see the artisal, we need to develop an awareness of the micro cultures that provide a personal and social context for the artisan. Here in the US, The Woodwrights Shop has served as a guide to people who love to work with wood. https://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/. Roy Underhill has been the host and artisan for 38 seasons. How many people, I wonder, started shaping wood, and then took it to a richer depth of speciality as they learn the disciplines of being an artisan. We need examples and mentors. Richard, I really like where you are taking us. Thanks.

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Yes. Most of us, whatever we do are normally constrained by process, protocol or politics. That doesn't stop the artisan in us teying to find its voice however. Almost everyone I talk to harbours a wish to put their own mark on what they do.

I've just been out and bought a writing desk (watch my writing improve :-)) and the gut who sold it to me is a qualified bespoke tailor, selling desks because tailoring has moved elsewhere, and we spent most of the time talking about his love of the craft.

We have an opportunity, maybe a duty even, to give these conversations a home.....

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As you start the year, I’d love to know what your sense of your craft is, and who you serve in practising it. Not looking for polished answers, just a sense of what feel, so I can get an idea of what might be useful to feed into these posts that might take you somewhere....

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Mine often also flows into something else 😆

My intentions this year are to explore with others what it means to be awake, sovereign and autonomous in the world. I want to work with senior transnational teams in large orgs who want to regenerate, and Gen Z leaders in growing social business who want their businesses to flourish in regenerative ways. The people I work with will be interested in creating flourishing, resilient local communities. It's taken a long time and a lot of searching to come to this 🙏

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