The risk in trying to avoid blunders.
The risk in trying to avoid blunders.
Are you ever bugged by some part of your work that seems a bit “off†? How can you stop the problem parts from taunting you ? Try to ignore it, and it won’t go away. Try to cover it up, and it seems to loom larger.
What began as an unresolved area can creep up on us when we’re tired, and taunt us with idle lies like : “You‘ll never get it right… You have no talent… It‘s such a messâ€, and so on. It’s tempting to believe those voices, and resolve to avoid taking chances in future.
In each of us lives a little kid who longs for a pony for his birthday. There’s one kid whose parents watch him busily digging in a pile of manure. When asked why, the kid says: “With all this horse manure, I figure there must be a pony in here somewhere.â€
The secret lies in seeing a blunder as a gift, like manure as the promise of a pony, or at least as great compost for your garden. Blunders are inevitable. They show up in everyone’s work.Â
The promise of a gift lies at the heart of every problem; the possibility for new growth waiting to be dug out. It takes a willingness to be vulnerable. Digging in a sore spot isn’t easy, but it can be very productive.
Focus on the part of your work that seems most challenging. Go inside, and ask in your heart these 4 questions:
1. What are my successes here ?
2. What remains a challenge for me still ?
3. What unresolved area in my life might this  problem resemble ?
4. What deeper personal needs could be filled first that might release possible insights ?Give the enriched soil a chance to grow new seedlings while you treat yourself gently. Do something that gives you pleasure. Take a walk in the woods, play with your dog, chat with a friend. Even something simple, like standing to paint instead of sitting, can allow insights to stir and come clearer.
Then, with your heart softened, go back to considering your work. Any signs of a pony yet ? Did digging with the 4 questions suggest any new insights ? Can you make use of an insight in this work, or will you let it remain the fertilizer for your next piece ?
Trying to avoid blunders leads to being too careful, staying in your old comfort zone. If you succeed, you’ll have stopped growing.
Embracing blunders for the gifts they hold, creates space for growth within yourself. More than that, it gives inspiration back to the Universe, that was transformed in the earth of your work.