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Note from the Atelier June 20, 2026

Hi There Reader... This weekend marks the solstice, a day celebrated by cultures around the world for thousands of years. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we welcome summer and our longest day of the year, while friends in the Southern Hemisphere mark the beginning of winter and their shortest day. No matter where you are, I hope you'll take a few moments to notice the light. Seasons change. So do we. Enjoy,

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Art or Craft?

What's the difference between art and craft?

Lately I've been thinking about the difference between art and craft. Not because I believe one is better than the other, but because the distinction seems to come up surprisingly often. Spend enough time in creative circles and you'll eventually hear someone describe a piece as "craft" rather than "art," as though the two occupy different rungs on a creative ladder, with art somehow positioned above craft. But is that really the case?

Traditionally, craft has been associated with skill, technique and hand-making. Pottery, weaving, woodworking, quilting, printmaking and countless other disciplines require years of practice and technical expertise. Art, on the other hand, is often associated with expression, ideas and personal vision and is designed to be appreciated by a viewer.

Consider a hand-thrown ceramic vessel. Is it art or craft? What about a quilt? A woven tapestry? A hand-carved wood sculpture? Most people would agree that these works require tremendous technical skill and expertise. Now consider Edgar Degas, a famous Impressionist artist; you probably know his ballerina paintings. But what about his famous sculpture Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, where he incorporated real fabric and ribbon. Is that sculpture considered a craft or is it art? Many contemporary works that combine similar materials are categorized as craft. Is the difference found in the object itself, or in our perception of it?

The more I think about it, the more I wonder if art and craft aren't really different rungs on a ladder, but perhaps they're two entirely different dimensions (think x and y axis from algebra). Craft reflects skill, technique and mastery of materials. Art reflects expression, communication, originality and meaning. A work can contain a great deal of one, the other or both. Some of the most celebrated works in history seem to succeed precisely because they combine extraordinary craftsmanship with a powerful artistic vision.

But alas, culture and location add another layer to the conversation. In the United States, we often separate art and craft into different categories. But visit Japan and you'll find ceramic tea bowls treated with extraordinary reverence. Travel through Scandinavia and you'll encounter furniture, textiles and glass that are celebrated for both their function and their beauty. Explore markets in Mexico, Peru or Morocco and you'll discover generations of artisans whose work is deeply woven into the cultural identity of a place. Are these crafts? Certainly. Are they art? Many would say yes.

And then there is value.

Not monetary value. Personal value.

A child's drawing may rank low in technical skill and never hang in a museum, yet it might be one of the most treasured possessions in a parent's home. Meanwhile, a technically brilliant sculpture by a famous artist may leave another viewer completely unmoved. A handwoven textile purchased while traveling, a quilt passed through generations, a recipe card written in a grandmother's hand, an old photograph tucked into a drawer. What makes these objects valuable? Their craftsmanship? Their artistic merit? Or the stories they carry?

Perhaps the better question isn't whether something is art or craft. Perhaps the question is why we value the things we do and who gets to decide? Is it the maker? The viewer? The museum curator? The marketplace? What one culture places in a museum, another may place on a dining table. What one person views as a functional object, another sees as a masterpiece. The more I travel and the more art I encounter, the less certain I become that art and craft are separate categories at all. Perhaps the most meaningful works are those that combine the skill of craft, the power of art and the history and stories that give them value.

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The Creative Act: A Way of Being

By Rick Rubin

Artful Rating: 4 Brushstrokes​
🎨🎨🎨🎨

Earlier this year, I spent 12 weeks meeting weekly with a fabulous group of about ten women from around the country and around the world (!) to read and discuss Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way. We were randomly grouped together and somewhere between Morning Pages, Artist Dates and weekly discussions, we became friends. In fact, we enjoyed the experience so much that we decided to continue meeting after the book was finished - to catch up on our lives, share our art projects and read additional creativity-focused books together.

Our first selection as a newly formed group was Rick Rubin's The Creative Act: A Way of Being.

While both books explore creativity, they do so in very different ways. Rubin's book feels more contemporary (as it should since it was published nearly 30 years later). He discusses awareness, creativity and distraction in a way that feels very relevant to life in the age of the internet and constant connectivity. His spiritual perspective is also broader and more universal. Where Cameron often speaks in terms of God, Rubin tends to discuss creativity, awareness and connection in language that can be interpreted through many different spiritual lenses. Although their approach is different, both authors encourage us to pay attention, remain curious and notice the world around us.

One thing I especially appreciated in Rubin's book was the format. The chapters are short and approachable, making it easy to read a few pages and then pause to reflect (or just read a few pages because life is busy). I also enjoyed the poems, quotations and brief reflections that appear throughout the book.

That said, reading The Creative Act made me realize how much I value some of the practical elements of The Artist's Way. Julia Cameron doesn't just discuss creativity, she asks readers to actively engage with it. I found myself missing her Morning Pages, Artist Dates and weekly exercises. I also gained a new appreciation for her discussion format, where each participant is given uninterrupted time to speak. In a world where conversations are often rushed or interrupted, that structure created space for meaningful listening and connection.

In the end, I enjoyed both books, but for different reasons. If I could create the ideal book, it would combine Rubin's narrative and contemporary perspective with Cameron's exercises, activities and group discussion approach.

Recommended for: Artists, writers, musicians and anyone interested in living a more creative life.

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