Daily Idea #73: The Power of Non-Perfection

It’s always difficult to admit when we make mistakes. It’s even more difficult to see the silver lining and the beauty that can come from learning from those mistakes.

I recently learned about the story of “Ish” in which a boy gets upset when his brother doesn’t like his artwork. Ish tries to make something over and over again that would be better. Each time, he crumples up his paper when it’s not perfect and throws it out. His sister then collects all these papers and tries to smooth them out because she feels the art is beautiful.

It’s a great lesson for all of us; the idea that beauty and perfection is in the eye of the beholder. That even with all the mistakes or perhaps because of the mistakes something beautiful can come from it.

Today, we will be making our own crumpled art. You’ll need white construction paper, watercolors, and paint brushes.

Start by crumpling your paper into a ball. Choose one color and paint all the exterior sides of the ball. Then open the paper and carefully smooth it out. Crumple it again and choose another color. Again, paint the exterior of the crumpled ball. Carefully open the ball of paper up and smooth it out. Repeat as many times as you’d like. Allow the paper to dry. Discuss with your children how even when we make mistakes they can be fixed and forgiven; how beauty can come from the not so perfect situation.

You can then use your paper to create other things like a journal entry, wrapping paper, a thank you note…