Find joy and learning in your mistakes

The person who doesn't make mistakes is unlikely to make anything.

Paul Arden

This quote was mentioned in an art journalling class and I wrote it as hand-lettering practice.  When I made the mistake in the word mistake I thought it was so apropos.  Then, when I was looking up who to attribute it to, I realized that it had been misquoted, and there came a second mistake to fix on my page.  So, this piece has been a lesson in being okay with mistakes.

This is something I find I am still working on.  In art journaling, your journal is supposed to be a place for collecting pieces that remind you of life, for play, exploration and consistency.  So far, for me, it has been a little of that, but mostly something I don't pick up, because the idea of working on it- of "making it beautiful" is daunting- paralyzing, actually!  So interesting, since I have felt so free to continue to mess around on new, larger pieces of paper and the work that has come from these sometimes astounds me.  Maybe it is the fact that the journal is bound and a whole statement unto itself.  This might be why many art journalers use loose leaf and then put it together after.  Well- I am still finding my way.

Interesting, since I was reading an article in Happinez magazine in which the Australian musician, Xavier Rudd, states, "Don't be afraid to fall at times.  It is the beautiful think about life: it will teach you."

In this photo I also included another learning point for myself as an artist- the fact that though these beach stones are strong and sturdy, the very fine vintage thread that I crochet around it is not.  Very late last year, when I was transporting the meditation stones I create to and from a holiday market, my friend found that a few had gotten broken in the transport.  A stinging lesson, as these were big pieces- ones I was so happy with and proud of the delicate work!

So there again, I have these three stones saved as a reminder- that life holds so many paradoxes- things can be strong yet delicate and breakable, that mistakes, though seemingly bad, can be a beautiful space for learning.

I hope you can be in the frame of being this week where you can honor, celebrate and learn from your own mistakes, while remembering to keep the grand joy of life surrounding you!