Embrace Imperfection

A bag I painted many years ago. There are so many mistakes and things I do not like, but I love it anyway. It is imperfect, but so is life.

Several years ago, I had a favorite (rubber) stamp that I used all the time; a Tim Holtz (Stamper’s Anonymous) one which said, “embrace imperfection.”

Embrace imperfection.

It seems like an odd phrase for a Type A control freak personality; for someone who is meticulous and wants things to be perfect. It has been a work in progress, and an important balance to that other precise side of me.

In elementary school, I hated art. I could not draw and did not feel creative and I would dread the art projects we would have to do. Art was messy and felt like the opposite to everything I thought I was. I was so happy in junior high when it became an option and I could say good-bye to it forever.

Many years later, I started rubber stamping and scrapbooking. I loved that I could use someone else’s art and drawings to make cool stuff. As part of my journey, however, I needed to let go of the need to love everything I created, and for it to be perfect. With three kids, I am extremely behind in their scrapbooks, so a few years ago, I made the decision that done is better than perfect. When the kids look through their albums, they don’t ever say, “I don’t like this layout” or “Look at that mistake.” Instead, they read the stories and laugh at the memories. Once I saw that as the end goal, my approach shifted and I was able to accomplish much more.

I remember a quote I read somewhere,

“Perfection is the enemy of done”

and I needed to get closer to the done end which meant giving up on the need for perfection.

The other day, I was playing with my Silhouette and trying to make a title for a layout about soccer provincials. I decided to try some new techniques and through (lots of) trial and error and mistakes, I eventually finished. When I looked at it, I saw tons of mistakes (the sketching didn’t totally line up with the printing and there were thicker print lines where the pen gobbed a bit and the letters could have been more centered). But as I looked at it, I realized that what I should see is that I learned a new skill and I knew more after, than when I started and my ability will only improve. So, I used the title on my layout with a sense of pride!

I think in life, we get caught up in perfection. Social media definitely contributes to it. We are surrounded by what we perceive as others’ perfect lives and sometimes we can feel jealous or inferior. We may think our house isn’t as clean or as big, or that we aren’t as good at something as someone else, but we need to stop comparing our lives to other people’s, and start celebrating our own accomplishments and successes, even if imperfect for now.