Professional Services

 

There is an attitude amongst some that a craftsperson needs to do everything all by themselves.

I'm going to explain why that isn't always true.

The very first professional I hired was an accountant.  I wanted to make sure how I should set up my business, and what I needed to do in order to be considered a business by the government of Canada.  And I did NOT want to do my own books.  I'd rather weave a hundred more placemats than face the horror of trying to balance my books and submit my taxes with all the appropriate deductions entered, etc.

Why did I want the government of Canada know I was running a business?  Because I wanted to run a *business* - not a 'side-hustle' as is said these days.  It wasn't intended to be a 'hobby' - it has never *been* a hobby for me.  It has been a whole raft of things, but not 'just a hobby'.  My goal was to become successful enough that I would make enough money that I was required to pay taxes.  I have always felt that a citizen pays the taxes they owe.  I was, after all, using the post office (a common good), the highways, the health care, and I wanted to make sure I paid school taxes - not because I had kids - but because I'd rather live in an educated country than one that wasn't.

So I worked extra hard to pay my accountant and have continued to do so, even now that I'm retired.  The accountant ensures that any deductions we are allowed are applied for and then we happily pay what we owe - and thank god we have universal health care.

After that I hired other 'professionals'.  Seamstresses.  Photographers.  Artist to design my logo.  Etc.

Even if I could have done some of those things...I didn't want to.  Or I couldn't.  And getting myself trained up to do them would have eaten into my weaving time.

Yes, I see people doing all these impossible things, and doing them very well.  Some of them left the world of 'computer programming' and are polishing off some of the rust to get it done, making them selves web sites that do what they want to do, not what Microsoft or Google insist on.  Or wanting to leave a toxic site for 'reasons' and get away from that company/political attitude.  

As our current society continues to break down, it is going to be more important than ever to find out who the people you need are, which skills they can barter with you, and make lasting connections with others who can work with you to achieve what you want to see in the world.

I have just begun reading Mark Carney's book "Value(s)" and it is...certainly A Book.  I'm not sure this brain is capable of reading all 550 or so pages.  But it has been interesting to read about the history of the field of economics.  (For textile buffs, there is one tiny error where he credits Richard Arkwright with really starting off the Industrial Revolution by making the first 'powered' loom - Richard Arkwright did do that - but it was spinning that he revolutionized, not weaving - that was Edward Cartwright - an easy mistake to make.  But be aware that *I* noticed.  And decided to forgive him for that one mistake which was likely a tiny misconnect in his brain.  Besides, would most people who neither spin or weave would even notice?  Just a nerd like me...)

At any rate.  I am slowly reading the book, a few paragraphs at a time, trying to wrap my brain about philosophical, political, and economic concerns and considerations.  But when I found out he had written such a book, I wanted to know more about the man, considering that he is currently our prime minister.  Then I found out that he is married to an economist looking at the costs of climate change.  And I am hoping (oh, so hoping) that he won't forget about those things, even as he tries to steer Canada out of the wreckage of our former relationship with the US of A.

And today I finally hit send on the next article for WEFT - for Winter 2026.  No, that's not a typo.  I am months ahead of deadline, but I should be hearing about Michelle Boyd's book ms next week, and I'm still not feeling 'great' so I want to give myself some mental space and enough time to do a good job of 'reviewing' her writing.

I may be 'broken', but I'm not dead yet.