“I hate dumplings! Just kidding…can you imagine?” (On the wall of Kung Fu Dumplings in Provincetown, MA)
This spring I took my family to Provincetown on Cape Cod in Massachusetts for a wedding and a family vacation. Provincetown is a town renown for its progressive values, ironic Puritan heritage, and amazing food. The latter, in particular, is enough to warrant its reputation as a go to destination. Especially for seafood lovers. The oysters were to die for. The lobster rolls were insane. And the fish...let me just tell you that I had a meal of fish and chips made with a fish that I had never had before — called scrod (which I’ve since learned is just really fresh cod) — that was tasty enough to be served to British royalty.
But, what fascinated me about our trip was that each of the delicious or innovative experiences that I had were facilitated by small, independently owned businesses. My experience in Cape Cod got me thinking. Are small businesses, those run by one or two person passionistas, somehow more innovative? Are they just better at what they do than their corporate counterparts?
I’m not sure how I would measure this. But subjectively, over the next few weeks I began taking a mental note. Whenever I saw a person doing something interesting or providing an exceptional service, I would ask them if they owned the business. If they answered in the affirmative, I would (if I happened to have my camera with me) ask permission to photograph them at work, or I would return later to do so.
This photoessay is comprised of pictures that I took of individuals caught in the act of doing something remarkable. Each are artisans captured as they plied their trade. The work isn’t exotic or fancy. In fact, most of them were going about their day doing things that we might take for granted, like power-washing the exterior of an historic building, handcrafting a cup of coffee, street performing, selling exotic fruit and vegetables, cutting hair, or teaching music. But, what I noticed was when I stopped to notice them in action, there was a singular grace, a quiet proficiency to their movements. Not only were they exceptionally adept at what they were doing, but in the doing of it they, in no uncertain terms, were practicing art.
This photoessay captures and encodes the simple movements and the rare beauty of individuals who have found work that sits at the intersection of their passions, their gifts, and their community’s need. In short, they’ve cracked the code on living life on their own terms.
A few interesting facts about small business:
There are 28.8 million* small businesses in the US.
That number represents 99.7% of all businesses*.
Additionally, there are roughly 57 million small business employees*, which means that 48% of the workers in the country work for a small business*.
Furthermore, 38% of these businesses are owned by people of color.*
*source: US Small Business Association Small Business Profile 2016
