Traditional neoclassical economics treats work as a cost – something that people have to do in order to get money. This old-fashioned view survives in economic models, yet, as the growing appetite for artisanal work shows, it is so simplistic as to be misleading. Craft is, in general, far less well-paid than professional work. Yet the benefits it offers – the satisfaction of controlling one’s own destiny, acquiring a range of skills, creating beautiful and delicious things, forming friendships with suppliers and customers – make up for the reduced incomes and ensure that there is a small, steady migration of professionals into the craft economy.