We all dread making mistakes for one reason or another, and while stressing over mistakes while working on your passions may seem logical, it may not prove to be beneficial. Mistakes can be frustrating because they can cost us things like money, time, and energy that we weren’t planning on spending. I used to feel a bit of regret when I made a decision that ended up resulting in something I wasn’t happy with and had to either scrap or redo. But, making mistakes has become a very important part of process for me.

When I complete a work, I think back on all the steps it took to get there, and most of the time I am happy simply because of completion. I do my best to avoid focusing on the areas where it took more than one try to accomplish what I had set out to in a single try. Dwelling on the mistake won’t actually improve the work. Instead I look towards my next piece, and realize the cost of the lessons I learned in the previous work. 

I guess I find it healthy to look at mistakes as a currency itself, and use it towards learning a new method, technique, or process. It’s the price we pay to know better.

I suppose this is just like any other life skill, in that it is easier said than done. Knowing when to call something a mistake and let the material go, or seeing it as an extra step in my process is a battle that I often lose. I make more than enough mistakes when creating, but I think the more I have under my belt, the better craftsman I will be. Thanks for reading.

Rizaldy Celi Jr.

American Artist

Oakland, CA

@rizaldy.jr