The 1099 Craftsman

I've struggled with work my whole life. I've had to deal with the resentment of not being in control of my time and the pointlessness of the bureaucratic organizations I support.

Matthew Crawford experienced something similar when, after finishing his PhD in Political Philosophy, became the head of a DC think tank. He found the work so draining and disengaging that he quit and opened up his own motorcycle repair shop.

He embodies a sort of real life Office Space ethos, but more philosophical.

“The satisfactions of manifesting oneself concretely in the world through manual competence have been known to make a man quiet and easy. They seem to relieve him of the felt need to offer chattering interpretations of himself to vindicate his worth. He can simply point: the building stands, the car now runs, the lights are on. Boasting is what a boy does, because he has no real effect in the world. But the tradesman must reckon with the infallible judgment of reality, where one’s failures or shortcomings cannot be interpreted away. His well-founded pride is far from the gratuitous “self-esteem” that educators would impart to students, as though by magic.”

-Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work, Matthew Crawford

I'm not saying your job as a solo 1099 federal sub-contractor is pointless and that you should become a carpenter or artist, but rather, simply becoming a 1099 isn't going to solve that desire for you to build something concrete and exercise your creativity.

If you can become skilled at something you enjoy doing within the frame of your 1099 gig, then great. More power to you.

It hasn't worked for me. I've become skilled at some data analysis type of work but I don't enjoy it all that much.

The "craft" work I've enjoyed doing has always been outside of the federal billable hour. My writing and business projects have brought me far more joy than any dashboard I've built.

So yes, become a 1099. This will get you more autonomy and money which is a big deal.

But don't ignore the pursuit of craftsmanship. Your soul depends on it.

Want the full playbook? Check out Going 1099.