In the Age of Manufacturing, Why Choose Handmade?
This week on "The Secrets of Mastery," master woodworker Gary Rogowski returns to our show to talk about precision, creativity, and the enduring value of handmade work.
Dear Friends,
Throughout the month of March, many of our offerings are focused on mastery: How do we define it, what does it mean, and—perhaps most importantly—why does it matter?
This week on our Substack podcast, “The Secrets of Mastery,” Gary Rogowski returns to reflect on some of the lessons he’s gleaned from his 50+ years of experience in woodworking—an era that aligns closely with the rise of offshore manufacturing and mass marketing. This episode, part two of our ongoing conversations with Rogowski, was inspired in part by one of the thoughtful books he’s published on craft, “Handmade: Creative Focus in the Age of Distraction” (2017, Linden Publishing). If you’ve been with us for a while, you may remember the very popular story he wrote for our magazine, “A Woodworker’s Tale,” which is still available in our free archives.
I hope you’ll be inspired to tune in and listen to: “In the Age of Manufacturing, Why Choose Handmade?” with special guest Gary Rogowski.
And speaking of mastery, please don’t miss our Notes this week on Substack, where we remember William Whitworth, the legendary (and masterful) editor of New Yorker and Atlantic fame. Bill, who was also a longtime friend of mine, and advisor to this magazine, died last week near Little Rock, Arkansas, the town where he got his start covering Central High School’s groundbreaking civil rights protests.
For just $6/month or $60/year, our paid subscribers here on Substack get access to the entire “Secrets of Mastery” series, including previous episodes, along with other premium content we have in the works.
As we add paid features to our offerings, we will continue to release occasional new items here that will be available to everyone, paid or unpaid. And on our website, you’ll still find a rich archive of in-depth reported features, audio stories and interviews, photo essays, Field Notes, and documentary shorts—along with resources like our Artisans’ Directory, our guide to U.S.-based craft & folk schools, and more—all free of ads, and free of charge.
We welcome your thoughts here in the comments, or via email. You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Thank you for reading and sharing our stories, for supporting our work with a paid subscription if you can, and for being such a loyal part of the Craftsmanship community.
Sincerely,
Todd Oppenheimer
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, Craftsmanship Magazine
“The Secrets of Mastery” is a series of brief, intimate conversations with artisans, innovators, and other pioneers about what it takes to master their craft, and why handmade matters.
Latest episodes from “The Secrets of Mastery”:
“What is Mastery, and Can You Innovate from It?” with Dr. Trevor Marchand
How Does Greece Keep Producing the World's Best Honey?
The Curious Origins of Horsehair Hitching, with Shoni Maulding
Another gorgeous episode!