Steve Jobs, Craft Inc, and You

Yesterday the world lost Steve Jobs, a man who has been described with every compliment in the book. An innovator. A leader. An inspiration. A visionary. This week marked the release of the new edition of Craft Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco. So what does one have to do with the other?

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.” -- Steve Jobs, 2005, at Stanford

And this is what Craft Inc is all about. Do what you love, and do it well. Do it with smarts. The new edition of this book is a reminder that this is possible, and that with a bit of encouragement from the pros, your dream job isn’t so far away.

If you ask any literary agent, they will tell you that their book projects are like children- each has a different but equally important place in our hearts. Granted, on certain days one kid behaves (sells?!) better than the others. And to round out the analogy, on some days authors act like kids, but we usually weed those folks out before we even sign them ;)

Craft Inc has an extremely important place in my heart. It was one of the first craft books that we did at Full Circle, and it opened my eyes to the thirst for this knowledge, and to the passion and support of the craft community. Because it really is a community. Craft Inc, first published in 2007, sets the ground rules for establishing, running, and growing a craft business. I believe it also set the standard for how to write a book about all of the above!

The publication of the new edition of Craft Inc reminds me of the days when I first began reading Meg’s writing for the book. I was floored. I mean, in what universe is it fair for someone to be so talented with the visual arts AND with writing? I knew we had stumbled on to something great. She has a way of conveying information in a way that’s detailed and thorough, but always engaging. So I was thrilled to watch her series grow over the years to cover other business topics including Creative Inc (with Joy Cho), Mom Inc (with Cat Seto, forthcoming spring 2012), and Blog Inc (with Joy Cho, forthcoming fall 2012)

To me, Craft Inc embodies the best kind of nonfiction, the kind that offers detail without getting bogged down in it – and let me assure you (years of slush piles later), it’s a rare find! The book’s success alone speaks to how well Meg executed this mission, and how she made her enthusiasm and knowledge contagious through writing.

I’m so proud to have been involved with Craft Inc from way back when, and wish Meg -- and all the savvy creatives who follow in her footsteps -- all the luck in the world as they take that chance and do what they love, and do it oh so well.

-Lilly