This daily fortune appeared on my computer years ago, and I still laugh when I think of it. Now I’ve mostly given up on the idea of making mistakes. Instead I’m making messes — on paper, using watercolors, oil pastels, colored pens and pencils, etc. I’m going through the Klutz watercolor book and am just playing around and seeing what works and doesn’t work for me.
At the moment my reaction is usually “that doesn’t work” rather than “I like it”, but my guess is latent learning is going on and the ratio with improve with time. Even if it doesn’t Montana reminds me that some things are worth doing just for the joy of it:
What about you? Are you doing anything for the sheer joy of it?
I like fixing details & not bothering with working on the Big Picture, the “whole enchilada”, the entire mess.
OH MONTANTA!!! i love you!
i totally agree with montana!
your calling is cartoons. another great one!
okay. my calling is exclamation points!
LOL. . . . see i don’t have to EVERY time. but i like to!
I have a love/hate relationship with mistakes…sometimes, I can’t be bothered to fix the mistake in “art-making” whereas other times if I can easily do it I will.
I remember when I was production weaving (past occupation), I had made a mistake in the threading and I loved it as time went on. Especially when experts in my field would spend ages analysing the “draft” – I never told them, I would say “it’s a variation”
Same since, I started the art-certificate. Some of my mistakes that I clearly know are mistakes are absolutely loved by the mentor or others!
So then I have question “are they or art they not” 🙂
A walk in the afternoon with the destination being buying a pot of Earl Grey tea (because most places haven’t even heard of Lady Grey, let alone stock it).
bikehikebabe,
The main thing is to know what we love and spend as much time as we can doing it.
tammy,
Yes, my calling is to learn to draw cartoons — it helps when some of them turn out well. Today’s is one of my favorites. Thanks again for the encouragement — I appreciate having someone to share them with. That helps more than I can say. 🙂
Cathy,
I came across a great quote the other day: “Creativity is making mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” It sounds as if you’re doing well. 🙂
Evan,
That sounds like a pleasant quest. I’ve heard of Earl Grey tea. A friend of mine loved it,
Ready! Popped over here with a mouthful of Hazelnut coffee, laughed at your cartoon, cleaned the mess on my screen and keyboard…
I’m changing out the type, size, and color of brick garden walls and borders. This is something so new for me but wow. I really do like standing back and saying, “Look at that!”(smile)
Dixie,
I’m glad I didn’t have a mouthful of coffee when I read your comment. 😀
Will you be posting pictures of your progress on your project? I would love to see some.
Mistakes? What mistakes?
Do I do anything for the sheer joy of it? Yes, I do, Jean. Live. That’s what I do for the sheer joy of it. Every day. If it kills me.
U
Jean, You very well know that I am Mr. Perfect. I do not make mistakes. Mistakes mishaps etc happen to me!
I am simply having a ball enjoying the summer and all the mangoes that it brings.
And, Jean, do you think that the captcha button could be moved up before the comment box? I keep forgetting that you have put in one. Thank you.
Ursula,
I agree. As I recall it was Emerson who said don’t be too squeamish. Life is just an experiment.
Rummuser
I disabled captcha for comments but left it in for people trying to log on as administrator. Presumably that will keep the site safe from hackers and eliminate the nuisance for commenters. I also did it over at stresstopower.
Mr. Perfect? How boring would that be. Picasso said God was just another artist, He had no sense of style. And Renoir said God was clumsy. If it’s good enough for God, it’s good enough for me.
But, boring is a perfectly acceptable state of existence!
Rummuser,
Sure, whatever turns you on. Have you given up on Fritz, learning to become the creative force in your own life? Somehow that philosophy doesn’t sound like you. I was surprised when you mentioned him.
I keep reading so much that whenever the subject that is under discussion and what I am currently reading coincide, what I call synchronicity, I would quote my current reading material. It happens often enough for me not to be surprised when it does. Sages, or let me more accurately for me say, wannabe sages are very inconsistent because they never step into the same water in a running river. Consistency is an overrated virtue in my opinion.
Having got that out of the way, and coming back to Fritz, creative types claim to bring joy, thought and originality to their arts, but often struggle with routine life. That is not me pontificating but Fritz. That is because routine of life is boring! There could be exceptions, as there always are for any stereotype, but one could say by and large, boredom and creativity go together.
There, I have been very creative in my writing!
Rummuser,
Yes, very creative indeed. 🙂
I’m one of the exceptions. I’ve set up my life so I have just enough routine for moodling time but not so much it interferes with playing with my toys. Needless to say, some people call that lazy. I do notice they don’t seem to be having as much fun as I am.
This is a true story. The interview is by the editor of the Washington Post and the interviewee who subsequently became his third wife Sally Quinn who writes on religion for that paper.
“Can you show me something you’ve written?” asked Managing Editor Benjamin Bradlee. “I’ve never written anything,” admitted Quinn. Pause. “Well,” said Bradlee, “nobody’s perfect.”
Hey Jean.
Photos when done; hopefully yes, pending new camera. I do have one blog post, “check please” written March 21, 2013, that shows my brick pattern and the layout for one of the garden beds. It looks great so far. Thanks for asking!
Rummuser,
Great story! I’ve seen jokes like that but never thought it happened in real life.
Dixie,
Thanks. 🙂