Art Imitating Life

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”
~ Scott Adams



One of the best things about creating is that nothing is a mistake. No matter what you spill or drip or tear, it's a masterpiece. Someone somewhere will look at whatever it is you’ve created and say, “That is the most amazing work of art I have ever seen. How much?” Or at least say, “Wow, I love what you did there!”

Art is one of those magical things that has an indefinite number of disguises. Even more than Inspector Gadget! And here's why:  every person who looks at a single project will see something different, and walk away with a unique impression of it. We each view it thru our own personal lenses, colored by our experiences, thoughts, ideals, principles, goals, and fears. Each of us hears a different story. How great would it be if we could all get together and share them?

Well, in a way, that’s what I got to do today, for fourteen hours, in a conference room at the local Quality Inn. Paper Pals hosted a crop and I decided to bring some projects and create mistakes – also known as art – with a small group of like-minded women who shared their stories with me.

You know something? Life is a lot like art….with one notable difference:  there’s no eraser. So does that mean it’s ok to get upset when you make a mistake? To throw a fit and give up? Absolutely not. It means that you take a step back and decide how to turn them into art.