http://creativejuicesarts.com/blog/the-wisdom-of-no-mistakes/ Be Creative. Feed Your Soul. Love Your Life. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:55:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= http://creativejuicesarts.com/blog/the-wisdom-of-no-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-127 Marie Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:07:41 +0000 http://creativejuicesarts.com/cja/?p=1354#comment-127 I love this article. I had to come learn more about you and this is great. If we can just accept that things happen - and go with the flow more, we will have so much less stress. I'm looking forward to getting to know you more. http://creativejuicesarts.com/blog/the-wisdom-of-no-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-126 Janet Bailey Sat, 18 Apr 2009 07:50:18 +0000 http://creativejuicesarts.com/cja/?p=1354#comment-126 "We have a fantasy that we are going to create a perfect little world here on this paper in front of us." And also in this *garden* in front of us, which is why I'm continually frustrated by gardening and why the weed analogy is so apt! Mistakes as creative freedom. Verrry different from my default approach. Thanks for this. http://creativejuicesarts.com/blog/the-wisdom-of-no-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-125 Victoria Brouhard Thu, 16 Apr 2009 05:36:55 +0000 http://creativejuicesarts.com/cja/?p=1354#comment-125 Love this. Love. It's so easy to get blinded by the way something "should" look or should turn out, when, with creativity, there just isn't any should. http://creativejuicesarts.com/blog/the-wisdom-of-no-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-124 Jenny Ryan Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:29:01 +0000 http://creativejuicesarts.com/cja/?p=1354#comment-124 I need to like, tattoo this to my forehead or something, because I keep forgetting it! http://creativejuicesarts.com/blog/the-wisdom-of-no-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-123 Julie Stuart Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:26:40 +0000 http://creativejuicesarts.com/cja/?p=1354#comment-123 I love this post Chris. Thanks for holding up the mirror and showing me what I already know but tend to forget. http://creativejuicesarts.com/blog/the-wisdom-of-no-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-122 Michelle Russell Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:22:42 +0000 http://creativejuicesarts.com/cja/?p=1354#comment-122 Chris, what a beautiful post! You know, I've always wondered the same thing about weeds. Why did someone(s) arbitrarily decide these were the plants we *didn't* want? Dandelions are just as pretty as other flowers, f'rinstance, with their bright yellow heads, and what other flower can you blow on and watch it float away on the wind once it's past its blooming stage? I was going to post something a bit later today on my own blog, and now you've changed my mind on what to write about! ;o) Thanks for a lovely and thought-provoking post. http://creativejuicesarts.com/blog/the-wisdom-of-no-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-121 Barbara Martin Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:23:45 +0000 http://creativejuicesarts.com/cja/?p=1354#comment-121 I wish more art teachers knew about this stuff! :) I used to garden this way -- lots of happy accidents and fortuitous combinations and somehow it all worked out in the end, explosions of color in a jungly yard and it was altogether (im)perfectly heavenly. A weed is merely a plant in the wrong place so I just made room for them, too. Like the delicious paint drips! http://creativejuicesarts.com/blog/the-wisdom-of-no-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-120 Jeanne Fields Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:09:50 +0000 http://creativejuicesarts.com/cja/?p=1354#comment-120 Thanks so much for this inspiring message. My drips often lead the way if I am not afraid of them. http://creativejuicesarts.com/blog/the-wisdom-of-no-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-119 chris zydel Wed, 08 Apr 2009 06:52:51 +0000 http://creativejuicesarts.com/cja/?p=1354#comment-119 Diane....just so you know how COMPLETELY I adore you. I laughed so hard at that image of your bad mannered mistakes sticking their tongues out at you! Yes, yes.... let those weeds run wild!!! Goddess Leonie.... I always so appreciate a visit from your wild and wonderful presence here at my blog! Garrumph it is !! Leah... I so appreciate your enthusiasm for all aspects of the creative process, my dear! Christine..... yes, yes, YES.... I can't WAIT to see your whole gallery of mistakes! That is an absolutely BRILLIANT idea!! JoVE.... Thank you for the dandelion recipe and the memory of the smudge mouthed dolls! I love that whole idea that what is often perceived as a mistake is actually essential to the spirit of an image! Thank you! Liz..... Thank you for stopping by! Yes, so many of us were raised with that experience of imperfection = humiliation which gave us such an unnatural fear of mistakes. I'm glad you found my post helpful! http://creativejuicesarts.com/blog/the-wisdom-of-no-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-118 Liz Grandmaison Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:40:13 +0000 http://creativejuicesarts.com/cja/?p=1354#comment-118 This is a wonderful read for someone (me) who was raised hearing things like, 'Why bother doing it if you're not going to do it right?'. That "philosophy" caused me to equate imperfection with humiliation and kept me from attempting a great many things, including painting. Your post is a wonderful reminder that mistakes and perfection are beliefs not facts. (I also found this post via Leah's tweet.) http://creativejuicesarts.com/blog/the-wisdom-of-no-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-117 JoVE Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:27:29 +0000 http://creativejuicesarts.com/cja/?p=1354#comment-117 This is great. I don't paint but I love it anyway. (came via a tweet of Leah's) I live with a gardener. We EAT dandelions. I know another gardener that PLANTS dandelions, so she can eat them. This might be useful knowledge the next time you are using your (very apt) weed metaphor to explain this concept. What is the painterly equivalent of making salad with dandelion greens? Or stir frying them with garlic and lemon. Also, the smudged mouth gave me a very vivid memory. Of a children's book (but worth reading by adults) called The Five Sisters (Margaret Mahy). It is about a series of paper dolls. Each painted/drawn/brought to life by someone different. The creases and smudges become part of their personalities. Very interesting way to think about that smudged mouth. http://creativejuicesarts.com/blog/the-wisdom-of-no-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-116 Christine Martell Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:07:17 +0000 http://creativejuicesarts.com/cja/?p=1354#comment-116 Chris, I've been painting digitally for the last 15 years or so, and you can fix mistakes there. Not always of course, but a lot of the time. It's so easy to create multiple versions, and try all sorts of experiments since you can go back and forth so easily. The big downside is the images can easily get lifeless and stiff. Starting to play with paint on paper again has been interesting. I find a lot more hesitation to put the brush down...but when I do, there is so much more smoothness and freedom with the stroke. The bounce of the brush is much more alive. I still have a pretty tight style, but it's starting to unwind again. Maybe I need to make a whole painting of 'mistakes'. A gallery of 'mistakes', an entire shows worth.... http://creativejuicesarts.com/blog/the-wisdom-of-no-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-115 Leah Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:47:59 +0000 http://creativejuicesarts.com/cja/?p=1354#comment-115 What a great post, Chris!! A great reminder to let go of our need to control and simply enjoy the process. That's so what it's all about! http://creativejuicesarts.com/blog/the-wisdom-of-no-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-114 Goddess Leonie | Creative Goddess Tue, 07 Apr 2009 02:18:44 +0000 http://creativejuicesarts.com/cja/?p=1354#comment-114 Blotch. Splosh. Splotch. Mess. Gurramph. Entwined hair. Deliciousness. You are a miracle, Chris :) I adore you! http://creativejuicesarts.com/blog/the-wisdom-of-no-mistakes/comment-page-1/#comment-113 Diane Whiddon-Brown Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:25:37 +0000 http://creativejuicesarts.com/cja/?p=1354#comment-113 Oh, I love, love, love this post. There are no mistakes? But how can that be?! When clearly there are examples of my unworthiness in my writing right there (pointing emphatically to the monitor)! I see them! Staring back at me and sticking their tongues out at me. (They have such poor manners.) Oh, you mean I don't have to obsess over them? I don't have to get out my weed whacker and obliterate them? Because they're still words and thoughts and stories, too? Living, growing things with roots and blooms? Oh. I see. Maybe I can try that. Here's to letting the weeds run wild. :)