It seems lately every where I look something is easy. Easy dinner recipes, easy knitting patterns, easy life hacks, easy garden projects, and on and on and on.
Are they so easy? They are if you start the project with a particular skill set already. Dinner is easy if you know how to shop vegetables quickly. Have bad knife skills and that 10 minute prep listed quickly becomes 30 minutes of potato peeling and cutting hell. Easy knitting patterns are only easy of you can already knit and purl proficiently. You get the idea.
But lately book after book, after website, after magazine is full of "easy" things to do yourself. I consistently overhear conversations at shows about how "easy" something is to do and how dare the artisan charge so much for their work. It used to be doing a demo at your booth made people understand what goes into your trade. Now, if you are good (which you should be to demonstrate) it looks so "easy". Like they can go home, plug in a lathe and fill their house with bowls in a few hours.
Don't get me wrong. I love the DIY movement. If it is actually going to get done. Pinning a pattern doesn't make it materialize in your wardrobe. Now when I hear "I can do that" I answer with "yes but will you find time to?" Artisans charge for our knowledge, our practice, our skill, our proficiency. We make it look easy because we do it over and over and over. The people writing the books have too. It is easy- for them and people like them. Is it easy for you? By the time you buy all the ingredients / supplies will you wish you just bought it from an artisan for just a few dollars more?
There is a great quote I was told once and I keep by my desk. (wish I remember where it came from):
"Amateurs practice till they get it right, professionals practice till they can't get it wrong"
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