There are so many times when we sit down to make something and we find ourselves in the middle of mistakes. Some we can correct and move on and others bring us to new places. And we need mistakes, they teach us alot. We learn how to explore and grow from our mistakes.
There is a third category of mistakes that leaves us with things that were never meant to be, they take on a life of their own and there is no turning back. Things that fit this category often wind up in the trash.
My mistake is the unintended doll! You see I am signed up for a online doll class. I loved this doll and so I wanted to make one. Now mind you I am a few classes behind as usual, I have lots of things on my plate and it has been a rough couple of days. So I thought I would sit down and relax by finally tackling this doll class.
Sometimes working on a project is just that relaxing and sometimes NOT! This time was definitely a NOT! The more I did wrong the more frustrated I got. What I made did not look the doll body I was suppose to be creating at all!
I showed it to my daughters 10 and 7 , who often get frustrated when they make mistakes. This was the perfect opportunity to show them a better way to look at mistakes. First they laughed wildly at this concoction and couldnt resist having fun with mommys so called doll body. Today they transformed her into the Unintended Doll.
They gathered some things around the studio, began stuffing her and starting seeing it for something other than a bad attempt at a doll project. They sewed things on her and brought her to life. They have been having fun with her all day.
To me she now resembles a wonky oversize butterfly body with teeny tiny wings. It’s great that a mistake that looked so wrong for what I was doing yesterday, could serve to teach them the value of turning your creativity towards your mistakes and looking for what else is in them. To not let mistakes get you down or stop you, to use some humor, have some fun and create something wonky! Apparently this one was another sort of doll I didn’t even know I was making.
Maybe now when the find themselves at a mistake along their path they will remember this lovely little doll and how she came to be!
2 responses so far ↓
1 Annie // Aug 5, 2007 at 1:54 pm
I think she’s quite lovely, in her own way! I have often had similar difficulty with crafting projects, but (as I’m sure you know) sometimes my “unintended” result is something wonderful that is mine, and mine alone. I also like it that you took the opportunity to teach your kids that everyone has projects that frustrate them and turn out “wrong.”
2 redbird // Aug 5, 2007 at 4:52 pm
I often find that sometimes what stops people from experimenting or trying something is that they are afraid to make mistakes, or often compare themselves to someone who has been doing that craft for quite sometime. I think its important to show our mistakes. To let people know we all make them. Even though we all know everyone makes them, we sometimes assume others dont make them or as many.
I know it makes me feel better when an artist who I admire shows the process mistakes and all. Or shares those falabilities with others. There is comfort in other peoples mistakes.
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