By Wendy P. Jones
I’ve heard it said that there are no do-overs in life. In some cases, that’s true. But in most cases, it’s so not.
Accept That Mistakes Are Part of the Process
Most of us don’t get things right the first time, yet if we fall short, we can experience a crisis in confidence. What if we go into things—both in art and in the rest of our lives—knowing that we’ll probably make a mistake, pivot, and eventually get it right? If that process is our expectation, we’d have so much more energy for creating.
One of the biggest things I’ve learned being a longtime card maker, and now, a painter, is how to fix mistakes. I painted this piece some time ago. And while I liked parts of it, I hated the yellow fish at the bottom and the goldfish at the top.
Put Criticism on Mute
I almost threw it out, but then I asked the perfectionist part of me to please go sit quietly in a corner so I could see the piece differently. With the criticism on mute, I was free to reimagine the piece. There was no risk here—the worst that could happen is that the piece would look even worse when I was done, and I’d throw it out.
I added crackle paste to the horse and sea grasses for texture. I put some white watercolor ground on the seahorse and set mica flakes into the watercolor ground for sparkle and even more texture. I darkened the water surrounding the focal point—the seahorse—with a mix of phthalo turquoise and indigo watercolor paint. And then, after the piece was dry, I cut it into a 10”x10” square, which completely changed the composition. Lastly, I added a sprinkling of bronze powder to give the seahorse some magic. And the painting went from a meh piece to one that had pop.
Go easy on yourself when you make a mistake. Know that it’s part of the process, and see it as an opportunity to try a new approach—one that may give you results beyond your expectations.
Hey Wendy,
You stated: “I asked the perfectionist part of me to please go sit quietly in a corner so I could see the piece differently. “With the criticism on mute, I was free to reimagine the piece. ”
I can definitely relate to you. It’s also very hard for me to go easy on myself when I make a mistake. I often obsess over solutions that may prevent me from making the same mistake again. I will try my best to follow your advice and to go easy on myself when I make mistakes. That is a very hard thing for me to do.
Chastity—That part of you that obsesses over solutions makes you great at what you do. It’s a gift to have that trait—but I find that by sometimes saying “thank you for your input—now please be quiet, I can feel out the solution rather than think it out. It’s way fun!
Best of luck. I’d love to know how it goes.