In the video shown in the link below, Toshio Odate, well known through his writings on Japanese woodworking and shoji making, talks about the connection between what’s ‘inside’ a craftsperson and how that translates into what he or she makes.
‘Craftsmanship comes from the inside', he says. 'Arms, hands and great tools do nothing. The main thing is inside. Your knowledge, experience and wisdom manipulate these arms. Every physical act of the body is conducted from the heart. Handwork is related to that. If you have something on the inside it will come out in what you make.’