Don't Be Afraid to Fail

I was sitting in the hair salon last weekend watching my daughter have her 10-inch pony-tail cut off. She has been growing her hair for more than three years to get to the required length to donate to Locks of Love. This didn’t come easy…NO! There were lots of snarls and tangles and arguments along the way, but with that was the determination of a now 10-year-old girl focused on donating her hair to a child who needs it.

I’m not sure I had that fortitude when I was her age. In fact, sometimes I’m not sure I have it now! It reminded me of the introduction in Grant Diffendaffer’s book, Polymer Clay Beads, which I have been reading recently. Grant’s introduction hit home for me, as I have been experimenting with polymer clay for the past few months, learning a great deal about the medium, but with no finished pieces to show for it. I was considering giving up on clay - thinking perhaps it wasn't right for me - when I began reading the book. Grant suggests his book should “empower you to approach your own creative endeavors without fear of the outcome…Keep in mind the master potter who would every year smash his favorite pot to bits to remind himself of the importance of non-attachment. A crucial stumbling block to artistic creativity is over-attachment to the forms we have created. Don’t be afraid to fail.”

After thinking about my daughter’s determination and reading Grant’s book, I decided I would continue experimenting with polymer clay. I WON'T be afraid to fail! At some point I have to finish something, right? And then I’ll give it away.