Benefits of Handcraft

The ability to make useful things from organic materials by hand is an ancient, cross-cultural, deeply human behavior. Handcraft, as an activity and way of life, can bring many physical, mental and spiritual benefits to its practitioners. This lecture outlines the benefits of handcraft, and offers recommendations and action steps for beginners in the modern age.

We will summarize the history of humanity’s handmade items, which may begin earlier than presumed. The earliest stone tools, for example, have been estimated to be about 3.3 million years old. Knives, baskets, carved wood, leather clothing and cave paintings are the ancient precursors to the wheel, the automobile, Rembrandt’s oil paintings and Michelangelo’s David; and the work of every visual and sculptural artist in the world. When we create something beautiful and useful with our hands, we are doing something truly and uniquely human.