I've been thinking about these things for YEARS! They are all connected but, as the Asian saying goes, same same but different.
Art has a soulful magic that involves intent and honesty. Design is about creating for sales and multiples with a functional purpose. Craft is about technical skill with a primary, but not always, functional intent. There is a cross over between these disciplines which always contributes to an interesting conversation.
Look at these and decide which is which? or are the all the same? (same but different)
The way to know for sure is to ask the creator of the object you're interested in. The answers help to understand and the questioning is critical when you don't know. If you don't know, what you don't know (ie. what question to even ask), then begin with what you're attracted to and start digging into the research from there. A really good basic question to ask is about the materials used -- what's this made from? Why was it used and what was the intention and process?
I used to always ask Artists about the process, because it interested me. In fact, my friends would make fun of me quite often, about asking this question. It didn't bother me, okay maybe a little, but learning about the work was more important. Learning about intention is critical when it comes to assessing and determining value -- value in terms of skill, creativity, execution and not just cost although that obviously is connected.
Project 851 comes from an intention to include all 3 art, design and craft. How it comes together is through intuition, which is something important to pay attention too and often downplayed nowadays. Recently, a great movie called Inn Saei came to my attention. It's heartful and logical presentation of intuition in today's world is worth watching. Inn Saei is an Icelandic term that means: the sea within, to see within and to see from the inside out.
Here are a few notes made from that movie now shared to remind one of the relevance of intuition:
Intuition -- is right brained thinking -- it is about the moment; an awareness of the world in the here and now.
Activity -- try this to develop or just stay in touch with intuition; spend 5 min. in nature using all your senses without thinking) . The reason to do this is because most modern people are not in touch with intuition (how we know things) they have forgotten to be aware of the many dimensions of life. Think about that. Are we really seeing, hearing, smelling, touching or tasting things?
Nature is the silent witness to intuition. Nature speaks in all kinds of languages. Nature is written in the inner eye, the inner ear, the inner capacity to make sense (out of something external consciousness may consider chaotic) Without nature don't know how we can revive our intuition.
The "noise" of the external world is muting the sound of our internal world -- intuition pays the price of this.
Polynesian Navigators; saw reflections in a cloud (knew where land would be based on that). Knew how to do this as intuition was taught through the generations.
Hopefully this has been inspiration to take time out in your day to get reconnected to your intuition. Maybe even spend some time with your favourite piece of art, design or craft that's right at your fingertips.