There Is No Ctrl Z for Artists

Hey guys!

So there is a topic that I have been discussing with some friends, which the idea that there is no "Ctrl Z" for artists. That there is no simple "undo" for someone that does physical art.

***Disclaimer: I am not saying that digital art is not artwork. See below my explanation.***

For any artist that works on or with any kind of medium, you are always going to make a mistake here and there. Mistakes are never a bad thing! Frustrating? Yes. An obstacle? Yes. But what is life without obstacles; without it being frustrating every now and then? Boring.

Making something with your hands, messing up, learning how to fix it, and then realizing how you adapted to that situation; that's what life is about. It's what makes art and life fun. Why I say that there is no Ctrl Z for artists, it's because we can't simply undo our mistake. Just like you can't undo a mistake you've made in your life. For instance, I went back to a painting I had claimed I finished, and thought it needed something else, so I tried to add more texture to it. That little change, changed the whole piece. It almost ruined it. I had to readjust my perspective on it and adapt to the mistake I made. I ended up spending an extra hour on it trying to get it to look like it did before. Although it took me so long to try to correct my error, I learned a new brush technique that would help me in the future. I learned something new, and honestly it is something that helps my painting process run smoother now.

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." - Scott Adams

Making mistakes in art can be frustrating, but sometimes it is really fun. Lately, I have been working on a side project that is more of an abstract. I have been taking paint, pouring it on a canvas, and then blowing it around with a straw. I made the mistake of not putting enough paint on the canvas so it didn't cover part of it, but the whitespace that it created, gave a lot of character to the piece. Mistakes are just something that is give or take. Any mistake that you make, only good is going to come out of it. Either it's going to be a good mistake that will seem that it was meant to be, or it will be good for you to learn and grow from it.

So next time when you make a mistake, don't deter yourself. Adapt and take it as a learning experience, and grow from it. Keep creating, no matter what.