I read once that the mark of mastery is knowing when a piece is “good enough”. As an aspiring wood turner I spend excessive time trying to make sure every piece is perfect; sanding and polishing until the surface is glassy smooth. In order to be commercially viable a craftsman needs to understand his target audience. A product is finished and ready for the customer when it satisfies their needs not yours. You can go mad, and broke, trying to achieve perfection where it’s simply not necessary.
The vast majority of consumers will not have sufficient knowledge of your craft to appreciate the full extent of the skill that goes into a piece. The owner of your product likely won’t see any flaws in their new acquisition without knowing what your intent was. Only a fellow craftsman might recognize mistakes in the end product and even then, they may just wonder about your design choices or technique. Your customer can only see what is, not what intent or possibility. This is especially true in artistic works, which resonate with the buyer who values its aesthetics.
