Episode Eight

All my work is of the highest quality. This is true, right? When we remember that mistakes are learning opportunities, and that we’re practicing patience, then we understand that “highest quality” may not actually equal “perfection,” which is what I used to think. I’ve always admired the Navajo rug weavers who purposefully made mistakes in their work, at least one, so that it was understood that only the Great Spirit could evoke perfection. It was then an act of the highest respect for both one’s own work and the Great Creator to admit that perfection was never the goal.

Letting go of perfection is the first step towards being aligned with the notion of “highest quality” in my opinion. Then what our goal becomes is “I’m doing my very best,” followed by, “and that is the highest quality.” Craftsmen know that we are not mechanical beings and that the little flaws that occur along the way are exactly what makes each piece unique and ultimately valuable. Artists know that each mistake leads to a new perspective of a work. I have always aspired to live a hand-made life and that necessarily accepts and expects imperfection, that becomes special to the heart and soul.