Was Picasso a Failure? or Tell Your Inner Perfectionist to SHUT UP!

Do you think Picasso was a failure? He was if an unfinished product or less than stellar work is the basis for that label. We judge him by his best work. The stellar examples of his expertise. We do not judge him by all the trial and error, ideas that didn't bear impressive work, or the examples of practice to develop technical or physical skill. So often we focus on the latter in the journey we take in our "craft" not what we have learned from them or the stellar examples.  We would not do this if we valued the creative learning process and the evolving product that results from that process.

A small museum just north of where I live discovered that their Picasso, "Blue Room," actually has another Picasso painting underneath it. The curator of the meeting explained in an interview that it was common. It doesn't add monetary value to the painting but is extremely valuable in communicating Picasso's influence, thoughts, artisic process and learning at that time.  Often an artist wouldn't like where a piece of work was going so they would quit. Painting over it saved them time. She explained it was an important discovery because the hidden painting was done during the time that Picasso was heavily influenced by Munch. She said it shows us what he was experimenting with as a result of of that influence and where it appeared in his later work. One of the great masters had an unfinished product or it was something that wasn't up to his standards for "publication." Yet, he just kept painting - wonderfully.

Kids Are Picassos; Adults Not So Much

I have taught many kids how to sew and several adults.Those kids, in their own right, are Picassos. They are practiced at the process of learning. They understand trial and error as part of that process. They are so darn happy with their finished product. It is a testimony to the hard work and all the new things they have learned. They will wear it with a smile on their face.

Adults, not so much. So many take every mistake as a personal affront. Testimony to skills they SHOULD have, despite never having done it before. They have no muscle memory from practice but that shouldn't matter. Too often, they highlight every mistake or less than perfect thing in the finished garment.  Many will not wear it. They ignore that the stuff they buy never lives up to those standards for fit or construction quality. They have often forgot the process and joy of learning. Only a few that learn to sew as an adult continue producing in the long term.They are just so darn hard on themselves. I am not going to examine where all that comes from. I am going to make a few suggestions.

Tell the Inner Perfectionist to Shut Its Big Mouth

Can we have a little positive self talk here? If someone else said that nasty old stuff to you would you take it or tell him/her to shut up? Enough said.

Before You Start Questions

Before you start a project ask yourself the following:
Why am I doing this?
What do I want to learn from this?
What idea, skill, or process do I very specifically want to play with while I am doing this?

Then make a check list of those things.

Identify Quality

Decide what quality is for you in this particular project. Be very specific and use your current skill level as a frame of reference. In other words, be realistic. Also, ask an important question, "Does it really matter?"

Use what you have identified as quality elements to create a check list that describes specifically what you will see when you are done.

You can edit the list to reduce elements that your skill level is not capable of producing. However, you CANNOT add to it.

Last But Not Least

If you choose to complete the project, use that quality list to determine how satisfied you are with it not some inner critical voice. Regardless of the projects completion status use the list generated from the "Before You Start Questions" to assess if you have achieved your goals. Jot down what you learned and where you want to go with that next.

The whole process of sewing is to express yourself, learn new skills, sew interesting things and create unique clothes

 

Be a Picasso. Learn from your project! Enjoy the process!