No mistakes
It hit close to home recently that Eric Carle died. When we moved here to western Massachusetts we were amazed to discover a whole museum dedicated to Eric Carle. The Eric Carle Museum of picture book art. This place became a refuge of sorts. A place to go when we have nowhere else to go. Our favorite place was the art studio! The Space is a blend of dedicated exhibits to different picture book artists and writers. And also exhibits dedicated to Eric Carle‘s work. The entry and sprawling space are covered in giant murals of his work. There’s an amazing gift shop. And even a library!
I have so many memories of my son as a baby reading brown bear Brown bear. It was the first book he could “read” On his own. Practically as a one year old. The predictability and rhythm were so satisfying. The hungry little caterpillar is also a beloved book. Especially for me with my deep butterfly connection. Such a message of transformation.
So I finally just watched the legendary interview that’s been floating around where Mr. Rogers went to Eric Carle’s studio. Oh my goodness. It’s been a while since I have craved painting that much. The spirit and the peace of their conversation is exactly why and how I paint. Spoiler alert, in the interview Eric Carle shows how he is using carpet samples for texture. I am pretty sure I’ve tried everything for texture, but I never thought of that! You better believe I will be getting some carpet samples in the near future. I cannot wait to experiment. I love experimenting. (And truth be told, I haven’t really painted in a long time. I am more in a writing phase now. Though I have done some very satisfying doodling, but not much.)
The whole thing was my favorite part. But my actual favorite moment was when Mr. Rogers says to Eric Carle, “there are no mistakes, right?” And Eric Carle affirms this. “No mistakes.”
that is the kind of artist I am. The kind of parent I am. The kind of human I am. It’s the generosity of spirit I want to gift to myself and others. To trust myself. To trust the process. Both the creative process and the unfolding process of life itself. And when I find myself clinging to judgments and mistakes either in myself or others, I want to give myself and them some space and grace. Because truly in the great masterpiece of life, there are no mistakes. And being open to the discoveries and possibilities inside of what could be viewed as mistakes is where all of the magic lies. All of it.
When my son was in kindergarten I connected with his teacher who I absolutely adored. She had been teaching for 50 years. She needed a parent to help organize the art supplies and the door of opportunity was open. I walked through that door to serve and help out. Because oh yes I know a thing or two about art supplies. And it was such a delight to be able to do that for the class and also tell her a little bit about how I view creativity. (She was an infamously early arriver at the school. And so she invited me to come at 7 AM to help set up. She even opened the gate for me to let me in herself. ) As shorthand, since I knew her time was precious and she had so much going on that morning, I used the example of one of the books on my son’s shelf. “Beautiful Oops” by Barney Salzburg. I said do you know that book? Before I could even get to my point, she proclaimed, “Barney?!?! He’s my good friend. He’s been coming into my class for years to read his books to the children!” Without missing a beat she proceeded to pick up her cell phone and call him. He answered. Within moments she was telling him about me and how I mentioned his book. They planned a date for him to come in and read to the children. My heart was beating because, seriously! Could this be any bigger sign? For me to keep going with my creative process.
The outcome of all this is that I went in regularly to lead creativity workshops for the kindergarten class.
there are no mistakes. As I shared earlier it has been a long time since I’ve painted and since I have led a creativity workshop, either with children or adults. And since I believe there are truly no mistakes. It’s kind of magic that I am bringing this up now. We shall see. We shall see. It’s amazing how inspiration strikes.
Good things, darling.