"Move on, don’t get too fixated on your mistakes. Try something different and see what happens.” That is what the watercolor teacher said to me. In the process of learning watercolors, I’ve learned that mistakes are our friends!
Here’s why:
- Mistakes are lessons in disguise. When I first started painting watercolors, I just focused on following instructions, trying my best not to make mistakes. When I did make mistakes, I wasn’t even aware of them. My teacher had to point them out to me, explain why they were a problem, and demonstrate how to fix them. It was through making all of the mistakes that I learned many valuable lessons. In fact, it took me months to even recognize some of the mistakes, let alone be able to fix them on my own. So the mistakes were actually lessons in disguise. They are our best teachers! The more mistakes we make, the more we learn.
- Mistakes teach you patience. Sometimes, I get frustrated when I find myself making the same mistakes over and over again. I can’t help but wonder if I am doomed to repeat these mistakes over and over again. My mindset was “fixed” on the belief that I might not have what it takes to do art. It’s important to recognize that our mindset plays a significant role in how we see our challenges and mistakes, and largely determines how we respond to them. People with a growth mindset are more likely to see mistakes as an opportunity to improve because they believe they can learn from them. They also recognize that learning takes time and patience, so they press on, even when it is hard. I have to keep telling my “fixed” mindset persona to quieten down, and allow myself to struggle through the mistakes and learn! So, recognize that mistakes can teach you patience. Give yourself a chance. Press on and focus on your learning progress instead.
- Mistakes open doors to new possibilities. When we embrace our mistakes and see them as our friends, we will also begin to see that a mistake can be an opportunity, it can open up new possibilities. As my art teacher likes to remind us, “Use your artistic license, create something new, leverage on the mistakes.” I’ve learned an important lesson here. Sometimes it’s not always about trying to fix a mistake, but instead, look for new possibilities that the mistake might suggest! We can open up new possibilities that make the artwork better, even if it deviates from the original plan. After all, in the real world, there are so many valuable things that were invented by mistake: Penicillin, Teflon, and Post-It Notes, to name just a few.
Seeing mistakes as our friends is very liberating! It frees us up to experiment and helps us to focus on learning rather than just the immediate outcome. This view of mistakes is also true at the workplace and in other aspects of life, not just art!
If you were to look at mistakes as your friend, how would this make a difference in your life?