by Amritakripa Watts-Robb
Britannica online describes art as "the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others." An artisan is one who has developed such a skill, and the idea of skill itself suggests a proficiency that has been developed through training or experience over time. Clearly to become an artisan, skilled enough to create a product of quality, has required a valuable investment of time and energy.
What does it mean to be an artisan or a company dedicated to quality? How do artisans thrive given our current obsession as consumers with getting more for less? As a company committed to making whole food supplements, from scratch in small batches, MegaFood has always been an artisan company ahead of its time! Supplements which are made purely with isolated vitamins are a lot easier and a lot cheaper to make than those using concentrated whole foods. That makes them undeniably more attractive to companies as a business proposition.
So what is it that drives companies to break out of the mold, and to go beyond the lowest common denominator of expectation? What is it that distinguishes the artisan from the manufacturer? I like to think that the seeking and producing of quality goods reflects our essential need to express beauty; stemming from a true desire to be of service and an inherent need to be at ease with ourselves – the desire to go to sleep at night knowing that we have truly done our best to create real value. In the health food industry that feels like an especially appropriate aim – after all, to be at ease implies the absence of disease.
No doubt there are challenges associated with producing a premium quality product – not least the increased need for education. As an individual or a smaller company, how does one’s voice get heard in the vast marketplace, especially when time and resources are limited? Fortunately, one of the great blessings of this time is that we now have a substantial resource at our disposal – we have the internet. We have the possibility of connecting with millions of like minded individuals, sharing our information and supporting one another in spreading the word. This is indeed a wonderful time to be able to communicate and cooperate and we are grateful for our grass roots community on line.
To demonstrate our support for true craftsmanship we will use our blog to feature the words of other artisans. Elena Ray and Karyn Robinson are two artisans in their own right – each specializing in her own unique form of creativity and business – they will be contributing their thoughts and inspiring ways to nourish your life. We hope that sharing the ideas and poetry of others who are lovers of craftsmanship will bring you food for thought. We encourage you to check out the work that they are doing and draw inspiration from them to stimulate your own inner artisan.
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