Things Don't Always Work Out The Way We Want

I was working on this painting Monday and right from the get-go I wasn't feeling any warm and fuzzies for it. Each layer I added just seemed wrong. Not really knowing what I am doing in the art department - it's all an experiment to me. I watch videos and think, That looks easy, I can do that!" To my surprise, I can't

Before this painting I spent the morning playing around with my website. So, if you are reading this, then you may have noticed some changes to my homepage and other pages. That too didn't turn out as I had planned or as I wanted. But I left it. I don't know how to fix it. I reached out to my website graphic design coach to tell her I had been "playing" around. She was so encouraging - she said, "As long as you don't hit publish, you will be all set." That made me laugh.

You know me, I had already hit publish. So there it is, not as I wanted it, but it will have to do until later. I do have a surprise coming, but it won't be for a while, so you'll just have to wait in suspense and forgive me for my poor website design that I messed up. I was told not to do any more. I decided to listen this time.

Sometimes life messes us up in worse ways than a failed painting. Sometimes in ways that we could never imagine and in ways that we don't always want. No one wants to lose a loved one. No one wants to be forced out of employment. No one wants to be sick or abandoned by the ones we love. No one is truly prepared for natural disasters - and there sure is a bunch of that going on right now. But all that happens and sometimes it all happens to us at the same time.

But that doesn't mean we should give up. I am still working on not giving up when things get touch. To be honest, I am not sure I possess the credentials to advise on this subject. But as I was feeling discouraged about the poor outcome of my painting, these thoughts came to me and I wanted to share them with you. We all struggle with stuff. My stuff is different than your stuff. But one skill to combat failure holds true no matter what we are struggling with - and that is - not to give up.

So, the next time something didn't happen the way you wanted - cry, wallow, have a temper-tantrum, scream, eat ice cream, do whatever you need to do to vent - appropriately, but don't give up. Figure out what you need to do to get through, improve, or overcome whatever circumstance didn't meet your standards and keep going. You might even be better off once you make it to the other side.

As for these failed paintings. Well, they will go into my scrap pile and maybe be repurposed. I will learn from my errors and hope to improve. But more importantly, they will serve as a reminder for me not to give up either when other instances in my life don't go as I wish them to.

So, are these actually failed paintings or is there purpose something other than to be a masterpiece?