My Art Isn’t Perfect

How a mistake turned poetry into a watercolor

Less than perfect and more mess the water played with the colors and flowed freely especially when I stopped trying and let my soul lead.

The other day, I puttered with a palette of watercolors and nothing came out like my head thought it should.

So, I folded the paper in half and pushed it aside but before I threw it away, I opened it. And to my deepest surprise — that abstractness was what I had originally envisioned!

Nevertheless, I got so excited and did several more ‘mistakes.’

My art isn’t perfect. It’s messy and real. When I follow my heart’s intuitiveness, it brings me great joy.

Then I pulled out my pen and tried to resurrect my faint memory of calligraphy. But that’s gone too. LOL!

Gone in a good way because now I will let the script flow differently.

And so, the poem and art became the process of stop trying so hard and let whatever comes up and out highlight the beauty of my imperfections.

This is my creative side who needs less restrictions.

It’s late afternoon again, and I’m back outside on my wee back porch painting, writing, and daydreaming.

Something my soul needs to do.

Carolyn Riker is a writer, social activist, licensed psychotherapist, a lover of learning & words. Her books are available on Amazon.