Requiring Heat

[Craft - XII]

I have a friend that does incredible iron work. Chandeliers, elaborate stair railings, intricate signs . . . he does it all.

Curious about his craft, I asked him one time, “So, how does one become a metalsmith? How do you go from banging pieces of metal into place like I do to forging metal artwork?”

I was looking for a process, a training, or some kind of apprenticeship suggestions. Instead, I got a one-word answer.

“Heat. It’s all about heat. None of it is possible without red-hot metal.”

That’s true about every craft.

Any artisan will tell you that proficiency takes practice, but excellence requires the burn of passion. There’s a smoldering fire that must burn in the background of pure skills that moves the needle from good to great, nice to beautiful, complete to exquisite.

The heat burns away the chaff of self-doubt, and the impurities of the fear of failure. Heat is the engine of perseverance and the energy behind desire.

Craft requires heat.