EMBRACING IMPERFECTION

What can we learn from imperfection? At worst, it’s a bane to our very existence. At its best, it’s accepted as part of the great scheme of evolution of our external selves, and also our bodies and psyches. Imperfection permeates natural things like birds and bees and stuff, and extends to the lovely variety of scientific experiments or software projects gone awry, “How fascinating,” Ben Zanders would say in the Art of Possibility.

We can rail against the hours we practice to achieve perfection in a sport, a musical piece, our writing, or in our professional life. That’s crazy. Doctors, dentists, lawyers and other professionals have practices…not businesses! Why? Because they’re never done practicing!

It might be much better to exclaim happily over a skipped note on the piano making a brand new harmony. Or smile insanely when a dropped paintbrush creates a never-before-seen color, texture, shape, or stroke. That’s invention. That’s creation. That’s growth. That’s being different.

In fact, we may very well EMBRACE imperfection and be grateful for all the cool things it produces. Like people like us.