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You see... Art and craft is not about self-expression. It's about developing the ability
to realize our empathy in relation to others that we do not know.
And this book is my first attempt
at capturing both the qualities as well as the analysis
of this specific kind of making. The kind I've started to refer to
as an empathic conversation
For the first 9 years of my career, I practiced
human-centered design.
And I was always very proud of the empathy
we practiced in our work.
But then I left the industry to study at the Rhode Island School of Design
and Brown University.
There, I explored disciplines like craft as well as the visual and performing arts.
And what I realized was that the empathy I've been practicing
in my work was just the tip of the iceberg.
To be honest, I used to think art was self-indulgent. And with 3D printers becoming cheaper and
cheaper, craft just seemed like a dying tradition.
But I now know that at the core
of art and craft is a specific kind of making.
The kind where you're challenged to realize your empathy
in relation to others. Others
that make you feel uncomfortable. Others
that you have trouble understanding or predicting.
Others that could just as well be a fellow human being,
as it could be a character in a story, a piece of wood,
or even your own body.
These are all others we can make with by engaging them in an empathic conversation