Thought question: If you could be a crafter in any time and place, what would you choose?

[Naturalcrafting]

Personally, I would choose to be a stone mason working on the Great Pyramid at Giza, or a siege engineer working on Trebuchets during the middle ages.

[PorcelainJazz]

The 1980's in the USA was a pretty good decade. As the decade of greed people 'invested' in art and a fine art crafter could perhaps make enough to live on. At most other times in history clay workers were the lowest of the low socially and did not do at all well.

Also now in the US we have a much better understanding of the hazards of our various mediums and artists stand a much better chance of death from old age rather than heavy metal poisoning or silicosis. A case in point: When tin lead glazes were invented for majolica work entire families of potters died of potter's rot from breathing raw lead into their lungs.

Taking the above into account I would say that right now in the USA is the best time to be an artist, artisan and/or crafter.

[CathySavelsArt]

I've been thinking about this question for some time actually. Glad you posted it @Brent.

I have to concede with @Cecily in that when I thought of different artisan professions throughout history, they all had difficult lives. Even the great painters had to work extremely hard just to maintain a roof over their heads. Textile workers had all kinds of problems with noise, dust and toxins from dyes etc.

I had to conclude that I'm really quite happy to be an artist in France here and now. Thanks for the thought provoking post because it did make me grateful to be doing what I'm doing. :-)

[shelikesthis]

I agree with above I love my art room here and now -plus being retired and all I need to do is just be happy to do exactly what I love doing

so for me my art space here in Cambridge with coffee and choccy..
not any deep meaning just I love my life NOW!!!