C’est la vie. That’s life. It is what it is. I speak French terribly, but I believe that is a wonderful way to approach life and work.
Acceptance of imperfection is what that means to me. Why want perfection? That means we have nothing to improve and nowhere to evolve!
There is a tendency for some creative people to be perfectionists. But to me, it is marvelous to never achieve perfection. Creatives have been introducing flaws into their works for thousands of years to remind themselves that flaws are an integral part of being human.
There is a marvelous concept that Navajo rug artisans use: they leave little imperfections along the borders of their work. This is called a Spirit Line. Navajos believe that when they weave a rug, they entwine their spirit into the work. The Spirit Line allows the weaver’s spirit to safely exit the rug.
When shit happens, I see that as my Spirit Line. When it happens in work, it’s a perfect way to see how to improve the next time. When it happens in life, it’s a way to learn and be better.
I believe we are meant to evolve. That we are meant to laugh at ourselves. That our flaws and imperfections are the quirks that make us beautiful.
That photo is me at four years old thinking, “It just is, dude.”