As an artist, I can look back at some of my earlier work, that was a hit or miss, because I didn't know exactly what I was doing. For most of us, learning a skill can be daunting. We start out inexperienced, with a blank slate and we are starting to write and fill in that blank with the things in our lives.

Putting the composition together, so that everything works in harmony, and asking those annoying questions -Is it too much? Is it too little? Why didn't I do that? What were you thinking? For the perfectionists out there, it never seems to be enough. 

When do we give ourselves the break that we need?  Life isn't perfect, people aren't, sometimes our jobs and the food we prepare, doesn't quite live up to what we expected either.  As human beings, everything that we do evolves. We go from the canoe to the luxury liner, from the hut to the palace, from the plough to machinery and drills, and from the beginning of our lives, knowing nothing, to learning about the world around us and how our dreams fit in it.  

I still love to read and open up a good book.  It feels natural and normal to me.  However, we have gone from writing on paper to a computer, kindle, an I-pad, cell phone, a word document, excel, photoshop and there's always Amazon Prime and Netflix.  Now those things didn't happen in a few weeks or even a few years but time.  Somehow when it comes to ourselves, we expect things to get done faster. 

Mastery is an art that takes years. Progress does move us forward and honestly, something a little less then perfection can be quite refreshing.  If you go live on Instagram and there is a mishap, or something goes a little off, it makes it more alive, humorous and very human.  I love to look  back at a collection of my art, over the years and see the progress. 

How pieces transformed, changed and evolved. It becomes a layout of my life as well, and things that I was going through at the time come back to me.  

Making all those mistakes and thinking "will I ever get there!"

Well you will if you keep at it! Mastery is an art and as Barbara said on her first Broadway album - "Art isn't easy!"

Learning to adapt, to change, pivot and try new things out, is an incredible experience, so that when I finally see my art reaching and growing into a higher level, it's like a chicken marsala and pasta dish and all I can feel is AHHHH. I learned so much along the way getting here, like winning in a chess game

I can not only be excited, at the results, and how long that journey had been, but all the things that I've learned about myself and my art along the way.  The  even better thought that pops up in my head is "I can't wait to see how much further I can push my limits!" 

So when perfection comes knocking on your door, think of this quote from Vince Lombardi - "Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence."  I'll settle for that.