You often hear the formula: "Practice makes Perfect."
Often after that, some smart self appointed expert pompously adds : "Perfect Practice makes perfect".
Now I would like to bring up the following story, taken from a book Art and Fear, by David Bayles and Ted Orland
'The
ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the
class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he
said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced, all
those on the right solely on its quality. His procedure was simple: on
the final day of class he would bring in his bathroom scales and weigh
the work of the "quantity" group: fifty pound of pots rated an "A",
forty pounds a "B", and so on. Those being graded on "quality", however,
needed to produce only one pot -- albeit a perfect one -- to get an
"A".
Well, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the "quantity" group was busily churning out piles of work - and learning from their mistakes -- the "quality" group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay.'
Well, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the "quantity" group was busily churning out piles of work - and learning from their mistakes -- the "quality" group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay.'
Although clearly poor practice cannot make things
perfect, if you wait to be able
to practice perfectly to get started you won't achieve anything.
When they were kids, Michelangelo and Vermeer certainly did ugly drawings... But they did not quit ! And they did not wait to paint perfectly to get started.
When they were kids, Michelangelo and Vermeer certainly did ugly drawings... But they did not quit ! And they did not wait to paint perfectly to get started.
"C'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron." *
I'd
much rather teach goofy students who keep trying hard with a big heart than smart
ones who do not dare to try anything by fear of not doing it right...
This is true of every activity involving training and practice : Zen, Budo, Mosaics, Cooking, etc...
Poor practice is better than no practice.
 |
| Takeyuki Miura Hanshi |
Think about it,
Stand up and go Home to your Studio or Dojo.
Practice your Art !
* One becomes a Smith by forging.
I
am a modern mosaic artist with a deep admiration for ancient Greek,
Roman and Byzantine Arts. You can see some of my own mosaics on my
site mosaicblues.
If you are interested by my work in general
or
if you would simply like to drop me a line, please
contact me by email at frederic.lecut@gmail.com
or by phone at (334) 798 1639.
You can also
You can also
