Pay attention to the (fortuitous) accidents — like this one

It’s the mishaps along the way that often derail us psychologically the most. Delving into the philosophy behind Wabi Sabi has helped me see more clearly that there is indeed beauty in imperfection, good fortune even.

Take this example: 

My wife Ann is an artist. She works on multiple small pieces and then assembles them into groupings that become a larger single wall-mounted structure. One wall of her studio is a massive peg board assemblage that allows Ann to keep 30 or more of these painting segments up on the wall at any given time.

This past week as she was showing me some of the completed work she was lamenting that a number of these segments had fallen off the wall and become damaged.

When we took a closer look — what a gift. The work had been improved by the dents and grooves created by the fall.

Ann works in a combination of layering and excavation. These new marks added a new element that made her work more raw, more primitive. More soulful even.

Hmmmm . . . .

We’re going to be tossing her artwork around like boxes at a UPS fulfillment center from now on. We may even have to invest in some chain mail to flog the occasional piece into marred beauty.

Now I wonder, how often am I missing what is gloriously beneficial because I am only focused on the (seeming) hassle of something gone wrong.

Part of the What creators do series.