I think the problem here is that majority of people want crafting to be:
1: Gather ingredients
2: Select a recipe
3: Get finished product

And Gathering to be:
1: Click gathering spot
2: Get resource

I can understand the purpose of the minigame, but it's just too tedious, and I think it's not the EXP rates or the lack of crafting leves on different levels that make the crafting such a grind, but rather the fact that for every item, ones that give 20exp and the ones that give 500 exp alike, require a near five minute minigame to create.