I’m a Proud Member.
I email my students weekly and recently talked about the importance of being part of a Fail Club.
At first it seems like a weird idea. And we joked about how we must be geniuses with all our failtures.
One of the reasons I don’t spend a lot of time on social media is I think it’s taught us to hide from our mistakes. We talk only of our triumphs and achievements, and never mention our failures.
It’s become a place for curating only the most positive, fun, and successful aspects of our lives. But I know if I’m not pushing boundaries and failing, then I’m not growing. It’s an uneasy place to be, but my heart tells me that this is where I need to be.
As an artist, I’m constantly innovating and creating….and I fail a lot….it’s a necessary part of the process.
Sometimes I try something I think will look great, and it’s a total flop. So, I must scrape it off and so something else. No big deal.
Sometimes the entire piece just doesn’t work. So, I must create something new on the canvas at another time. No big deal.
I know sitting amongst my failures are also things that went right. There is always something positive in the failure.
The way I see it, if I’m not failing at something, then I’m playing it safe. In giving myself permission to make mistakes I learn, and that’s how I grow.
My studio time these days has been trying out a ton of new techniques and stretching myself. I’ve been failing……and learning.
And I have some fun images forthcoming.
With all good wishes,
