As a consultant I realized I work as an artisan. An artisan in intellectual work, of course, but nevertheless an artisan. And I am perfectly happy doing this without trying to grow into an industrial approach.
In my daily consulting work, I spend my time adapting my knowledge and material to my clients’ situations, polishing it with a view on excellence, never twice producing the same although every time it is similar; learning from master and from practice to deliver ever better solutions and insights.
Thus we should see today artisans in a much wider sense than the usual touristy ‘artisan craft’ of old-fashioned love for manual work. And there are actually many artisans all over the modern world putting their love of things well done in their creations for needing clients. There are many more artisans that what you’d believe. And everyday I discover new small niche companies providing artisan-ware and services to many different parts of our societies.
Artisans are not disappearing, they are rather thriving in the new collaborative work as it allows them to have a wider audience and thus sustain their work. It co-exists with industries that are also needed to deliver the benefits of scale. Still we need dedicated artisans, and I am one of them.
