Mistakes = OK

new art

Friends.

I had a great idea for a painting. I taped it off and spray painted the background (which was supposed to be a sky) with the brightest pink I could find. I then began to add colors to the landscape - a bright yellow sun, green grasses, etc.

And then I hated it.

Like, HATED it.

The sky (when put next to the other colors) looked more red than pink and so it looked like a dark, bloody mess.

Sigh.

I was going for a happy vibe and this just felt angry and weird and icky.

So, I did what artists do and began to make some adjustments - “I’ll just really ‘Pop-Art-It-Up’ and add some more color and lines and it’ll be awesome. I can do this!”

But.

Then.

With each line I added and each color I tweaked and each thing I did - I hated it more and more and more.

I was so mad (Little Glenn the Artist who lives inside can be quite the perfectionist!) and frustrated that I was going to throw it in the garbage, but then I put it aside in my office and a few minutes later Jordan came down and said, “can I see what you made?”

I picked it up and began to explain how it was a giant mistake and she said, “wow! I love it. Can I hang it in my playroom?”

You?

LIKE this?

“OK”, I said, “but let me finish it first.”

I sat with it for another day and then decided to let the painting be an illustration of what Dana and I try to teach her everyday - that we all make mistakes, SHE will make mistakes, but those mistakes don’t make us any less loveable, any less smart, any less worthy.

And so, here you have it - a painting that is a giant OOPS, but a powerful illustration nonetheless now hanging in Jordan’s playroom.

We all make mistakes, but we aren’t our mistakes; and our mistakes don’t diminish our value, our worthiness … they don’t define us.

I hope that can encourage you.

Do you like this one? DM me and I’ll make another mistake painting for you, HA!

Much love.

• Glenn || PATREON / ART STUDIO