Smudges, Blots & Breakthroughs: Embracing Mistakes Through Art

When you see this painting, you may see a ‘mistake’.

It isn’t perfect, and you might wonder, ‘Why has she posted such a shoddy artwork on social media?’

But my art doesn’t have to be social media-worthy. It only needs to be worthy of me and meaningful to me. I’m not painting to impress others. I paint and create art because I’m an artist. I’m a creator of words and colours. I find art healing, soothing, and incredibly restorative. It helps me reset the balance.

The Budding Artist from Childhood

I’ve been painting since I was under five years old.

My first award was at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, when I was just three, for a children’s art competition. My name was called on stage, and my elder brother carried me up to receive the prize — a large photograph of the snowcapped Himalayan mountains. It was so big I could barely hold it. My brother carried both me and the award from the stage, while I beamed happily like a glowworm!

As we moved across different parts of the country, I began participating in All-India Art Competitions. Some of my work was even selected for national exhibitions.

Chasing Perfection in My Art

During my college years, I would spend hours sitting in my room, painting, with music playing and my pet dog lying beside me. Painting was — and still is — a form of meditation for me. I never liked being disturbed while I painted. I would feel a rush of energy, sometimes anxious about how the painting would turn out.

If I didn’t like the result — if there was a mistake — I would tear it up, cry, and get angry. I’d feel as though I was worthless, that I’d wasted time and material.

But what I failed to understand back then was this – Not everything I create has to be perfect. I just needed to do my bit and enjoy the process of making art. Creating art makes me the happiest, and I should do it often.

When My Art Took a Backseat

Then life happened — studies, work, travel, marriage, raising a child — and somewhere along the way, art took a backseat.

I’m not here to blame patriarchy or marriage as an institution. Staying connected to my art was — and is — my responsibility. I cannot blame others for this.

During the pandemic, I rekindled my interest in art. Thankfully, I had plenty of supplies at home, thanks to my daughter’s many school projects.

A New Approach to Art

This time, I approached art in a different way. I couldn’t behave the way I did in my teens or twenties. Life had changed me — taught me lessons.

So, when I started painting again, everything was unplanned. My artwork became free-flowing. I simply followed where my pencil, pen, or paintbrush took me. Even if it didn’t make sense, I allowed myself to trust the process.

I began experimenting:

What if I draw it like this?

What if I combine these two or more mediums? (Crayons, pencils, paints)

Most weekends, I’d sit in my room, painting and listening to music, while my husband and daughter played board games, watched movies, prepared meals, or napped on the sofa.

This time, I decided to embrace the mistakes — the blots, the design flaws, the ‘not-so-perfect’ lines.

Instead of tearing up the page, I asked myself:

What if I can create something from this?

And from that place came more creativity, more possibility. What once felt like a dead end became a new beginning.

Embracing Being Human

In 2018, I was invited to speak on a panel discussion titled “The Indian Handicraft Industry” hosted by the Fashion Management Department at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Mumbai. We spoke about the importance of reviving, supporting, and patronising handmade, ethnic, and indigenous products, rather than machine-made ‘perfect’ ones.

During the Q&A, a student asked:

“In handcrafted pottery, if we see a smudge or a blot, we don’t buy it — or our customers won’t. What should we do?”

I responded:

“The very fact that you see a smudge or paint blot on handcrafted pottery is a symbol of human effort, endurance, and patience. Nothing in this world is perfect. If we chase perfection, we’ll never be happy — and that applies both professionally and personally.”

Willingness to Learn from Mistakes

As a mentor, I once worked with a 10th-grade student who was so fixated on submitting a ‘perfect’ assignment that she couldn’t complete or submit any assignment on time. Her fear of making mistakes built a wall around her. Even when she did submit something, she refused to acknowledge any room for improvement or feedback.

But here’s the truth:

If we continually strive for perfection, we may never achieve anything. The next time you make a mistake, pause. Don’t rush to react.

Ask yourself — Can I fix it? Can I learn from it? Can I create something new from it?

Mistakes make us human

In a medical paper called ‘Reflections on Failures and Human Errors’, by Rodolfo A Neirotti, Luiz F Caneo, the surgeons wrote that during their cardiac surgery training, ‘failures and errors’ were absolutely ‘unacceptable’, however, over time, they learnt that both are ‘inevitable’ and ‘to err is human’.

They mention, “Failures remind us that no one is perfect and that there is too much to know in this world. Every failure can be a step toward success if we remember that there is seldom a second opportunity to make a good first impression. Mistakes train us to be stronger and help us to learn how to manage our emotions and realign our focus.” (Source: Reflections on Failures and Human Errors)

Errors/ Mistakes are a sign of a need to change/ adapt  

In another paper, “Effects on and consequences of responses to errors: Results from two experimental studies“, Maria Tulis, Markus Dresel write, “…learners usually perceive errors as unpleasant, and thus potentially resulting in avoidant learning behaviour instead of increased effort…”, “…rather than simply “learning how to avoid specific errors in the future”, …educators should support learners to emerge from this process with both improved “negative knowledge” on the subject at hand and to develop a mindset that enables them to handle errors adaptively.”

The paper further sheds light on why people, or learners, are afraid of making mistakes, as they mention, “…learning from errors as an activity requires effort.“

Maria Tulis, Markus Dresel explain the nature of human behaviour when facing errors. According to them, when the result is not as per the expectations or desired outcome that occurs in an ‘unintended manner’, it is perceived as ‘…a need for something to change if the learner is keen…’.

They further explain the Dual Processing Model of Self-regulation (Boekaerts & Niemivirta, 2000) that sheds light on how errors pose “…a threat to self-worth and feared loss of resources the learner experiences after making an error. Learners who are primarily concerned with the negative consequences of errors must first utilise adaptive emotional and motivational regulation strategies (Boekaerts, 2006) before they can focus on the causes of the error, rethink their misconceptions, and make corrections. Learners who focus on the potential of their errors for learning and personal growth may be more likely to concentrate on overcoming the misconception underlying their error and regulating their motivation to do this.” (Source: Effects on and consequences of responses to errors: Results from two experimental studies)

The Everyday Mistakes We Overthink

The “mistakes” I’m referring to here are everyday, mundane ones — the kind we blow out of proportion. We put so much pressure on ourselves to be right all the time. And when we’re not, we spiral into negative self-talk, such as “I’m not good enough.”

We internalise that false belief, and it slowly starts affecting our confidence and willingness to take risks.

Catch Them Young

We need to start recognising and reflecting on mistakes while they’re still small. We have to step out of our comfort zones and ask ourselves where we went wrong — and what we can learn from it. This builds resilience, better risk analysis and prepares us for high-stakes situations — such as in medicine, aviation, or car racing — where even a minor error can have severe consequences.

So, How Do We Learn from Our Mistakes?

It’s not easy. We feel embarrassed. Humiliated. Defeated. However, that does not mean we cannot learn from our mistakes. So here’s what I’ve learned through my art experiences:

1. Patience — not every outcome will align with our expectations.
2. If there’s a blot or smear, resist the urge to be frustrated. Don’t allow the mistake to take control of our emotions.
3. Ask yourself: Can I make something out of this?
4. Perfection is a utopian concept. The more we chase it, the more it eludes us.
5. What’s perfect for me may not be perfect for you — and that’s okay.
6. We can’t please everyone. If your art, work, or craft brings you joy, that’s enough.
7. Art has taught me to think outside the box, to experiment with new mediums. Even if the result isn’t a masterpiece, I always learn something new.
8. Enjoy the process more than the outcome.
9. Stop putting too much pressure on yourself to make it perfect; otherwise, it’s trash.
10. Mistakes are not the end; we can start over, afresh.

At The Write Compass…

At The Write Compass, we explore these very ideas.

We work on out-of-the-box thinking, creative risk-taking, and building confidence. We learn to accept mistakes, reflect on them, and be gentle with ourselves.

Because growth doesn’t come from chasing perfection — it comes from embracing the process and accepting mistakes as our teachers. Mistakes and errors keep us humble and grounded. It reminds us that we’re human. Mistakes make us more accepting and forgiving of ourselves.

If this has resonated with you, how about we connect at The Write Compass over a Discovery Call to see how we can work together in a more accepting and self-forgiving space.

References:

Reflections on Failures and Human Errors

Effects on and consequences of responses to errors: Results from two experimental studies