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Emma's Update June 2012 - Being professional
Being professional
Michael Caine once said “I'll always be there because I'm a skilled professional actor. Whether or not I've any talent is beside the point.”
Regardless of what your thoughts may be on his acting ability, Michael Caine brings up an interesting point on what professionalism is, particularly for artists. Whether your career is in acting, writing or making, there is a line between talent and professionalism and it’s the job of organisations such as Craft Scotland to support makers in developing both.
Last month the BBC announced they were on the search for “amateur designer-makers” to participate in a new series. They are looking for hidden talent, people who are passionate about their craft who would benefit from presenting their work to Britain’s most ‘discerning masters and makers.’ As a keen supporter of the DIY movement I was delighted to see that craft is going to be on the television in what sounded like an accessible format and without so much of a hint of Kirsty Allsopp. It wasn’t until I read the final sentence that I became confused.
It states “Please note: amateur refers to anyone whose sole income does not come from sales of their craftwork.” According to the recently published Craft in An Age of Change this immediately rules out at least 30% of the craft sector, but I would be surprised if this figure is not much higher. I know many, many successful makers (working across discipline and attracting very different audiences) who are also teachers, shop assistants, curators, waiters, cleaners in a B&B…the list goes on. Some people do it for the extra cash and some people do it because they enjoy it. Surely it doesn’t make them any less qualified?
This got me to thinking about what it means to be a professional within the craft sector. Is it about quality of work? Is it about achieving ‘master’ status? Is it about making a living solely out of selling products? Or is it about how a maker conducts themselves in their working day?
I’ve recently had to inform 50 makers that they had not been selected to take part in an upcoming event Craft Scotland is involved in. In response to my email I received lots back from makers asking if I could provide more personal feedback. Some makers sent a reply wishing Craft Scotland and the makers who have been selected lots of success with the show.
However, there were some less positive - and less professional - responses. A member of my team was screamed at over the phone. I’ve been threatened with violence, accused of being immoral and told I’ve caused complete devastation to lives. Perhaps most surprising of all, I have been accused of bringing down the Catholic Church.
This is not the first time I have received insults from makers who have not been selected. I have spent the three years wondering why this happens, and questioning whether my approach is sometimes a little too open. For the first time I have spoken to others who run similar selection processes and I have been shocked to discover they receive similar threats and abuse. In other working environments it simply would not be allowed.
Not being accepted for an event can create feelings of anger, frustration or rejection. There’s lots of ways to deal with these feelings whilst remaining professional. One solution for venting emotion is to write an email and send it to a friend, or chat it through with someone you trust. Then give it a few days and respond to the organisation you’ve applied to with a more measured response, asking for feedback and guidance.
Scotland is home to a wealth of talent and often makers aren’t accepted for a show because of circumstantial reasons. These include a big surge in applications for a particular discipline, or because a collection of makers has to sit well together. If feedback you receive from an organisation recommends that you apply to future shows, take this as a positive, not an insult.
Your professionalism in dealing with rejection could help you out here. No-one wants to work with someone who has been unprofessional.
Nobody likes to feel criticised, but when done constructively it is absolutely necessary for the development of your career. I hope it’s not too naïve to assume that people apply to organisations such as Craft Scotland because you trust us. We are ambitious for every maker in Scotland and any feedback given should be taken positively.
I always welcome constructive criticism from makers, as we are constantly improving and tweaking the way we do things at Craft Scotland. Any sector is best when it is informing and learning from each other, constantly improving on its professionalism and supporting the growth of the individuals within it.
Emma Walker, Chief Executive, Craft Scotland
Craft Scotland are currently recruiting for positions on the Board of Directors. We are particularly keen to hear from people working in the craft sector. If you would like to contribute to the development of Craft Scotland please take a look at our advert here: http://www.craftscotland.org/community/event_details.html?apply-to-join-the-craft-scotland-board-of-directors&event_id=990
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Hi Emma,
It's a really interesting area. While no one deserves to be shouted at or to have to deal with unreasonable behaviour in their work, of course, I do think that for a creative cultural society to blossom, constructive criticism needs to work in both directions. Just as makers and artists constantly take on board constructive and well considered criticism and feedback, the bodies who represent their concerns, and also those who distribute public monies to these cultural areas, also need to value constructive criticism of their dealings and practice. As a maker, writer and photographer I personally find critiques of my work incredibly useful and have a very active l circle of artist and writer buddies whose advice is always constructive, if not positive. But I have also been on the receiving end of feedback (not from Craft Scotland) which illustrates an approach within some organisations that is, perhaps, not as considered as it should be. There can be a complacent attitude at times within organisations, - I know from having worked in them myself - and while that is not true, I'm sure, of Craft Scotland I think it can have a negative impact on makers and artists in general and might go some way to explaining why frustration sometimes gets the better of folk.
Professionalism is important but I don't think artists should be judged on that. It should really boil down to their work. Some of the most creative folk, the legends of our and previous times, are not and never have been 'professional' in their dealings with public bodies. We don't respect them any the less for it - why? Because they are brilliant. Sometimes their brilliance has been missed in the short-term, we've all heard those stories, but valued in the long. The truth is that passion and creativity go hand-in-hand and passion doesn't always mean polite, or calm, or easy. If professionalism is valued more than passion, if behaviour is rewarded above talent then we'll all be the poorer.
Susan Kemp
Thanks Susan for a balanced response on this subject. Professionalism in the arts is different from that in the administrative or office world. For me professionalism is about the approach to making. The honesty about materials and methods, consideration of the characteristics of the medium and extension of the possibilities is important. These concerns can over-ride the social conventions in the effort to be true to self and material.
Stephen Richard
I think you are quite right Emma, that there are several meanings associated with the word professional and I agree that professionalism is an important attribute as long as it doesn't stifle creativity, which is what I believe Susan was alluding to. I sympathise with you regarding having to turn people away, when it may be that they are not quite right for a specific event. I suppose that there is an element of 'don't call us, we'll call you' but anyone putting themselves forward for such things needs to understand that they may simply not fit the criteria. Furthermore, if these people are creating regularly (even if it is not full time) and their work is being bought or at the very least appreciated, then surely they must understand that they simply don't fit the bill on this particular occasion and there isn't anything 'wrong' with their work per se. If on the other hand their work is neither sold or appreciated then it may be that they need to ask themselves some difficult questions. It is never a nice job to turn someone away (I know from bitter experience), but if this didn't happen then the focus/theme as well as the quality may be compromised.
The word amateur has quite often had negative connotations, while the word professional is quite the opposite and yet the only difference between the two is money. I have suggested in another forum on the same subject that maybe the BBC are trying to avoid certain legal complications (that we are unaware of) by specifying the type of maker who can apply. Suffice it to say, it has put the cat among the pigeons!
I agree whole heartedly with Susan's point about the fact that organisations need to act professionally and be accountable for the quality of their service and I think it is good for us as organisations to know what people think of our service good or bad in order that we may improve on the bad points and build on the good ones.
Cultural Enterprise Scotland workshops provides very useful workshops on making applications. Not only do these offer excellent practical advice; they also give makers guidance on how to see things from an organizational perspective and also how to deal with rejection, the most obvious being to have other projects on the go or in the planning.
As someone who has been both accepted and rejected by Craft Scotland projects I stand by my statement to Emma at the time that my inclusion in the biodiversity exhibition was life changing. It is still feeding me and I learnt lessons that I use very day of my working life. I cannot emphasize enough how important your work is to both makers and to Scotland.
The debate about professional and amateur and income and quality is multi-faceted with no correct answer. It's interesting however that the BBC hasn't used the word hobby.
Professionalism is often a code word and means different things to different people in different situations. I find the closer you get to something, the more the more blemishes become apparent. This ranges from the technical capability of translating ideas through a material, to respecting the people you interact with to get the very best from every situation; knowing your own capabilities and limitations.
Craftspeople are often most professional in the workshop delivering what is in their mind. Promoters are necessarily most professional in dealing with a wide variety of people. We have tremendous examples of both within the Craftscotland team and the people they support.
Through our professional journey in life we find our place, or angle of repose, where we find we are most successful and present ourselves at our most professional.
Jonty Rose