Thursday, January 6, 2011

Learning Curve

I'm wondering when it was that I started enjoying the learning of a new skill or concept. Long ago, I would grow frustrated with the process, thus causing me to quit. Then somewhere along the line, I became patient with myself. Perhaps it was when I learned to be patient with others or maybe it was patience with my failure. No, not failure but learning by mistakes, what I now know as the learning curve. The more I relaxed with my own lack of perfection, the more I learned to be better at what I was attempting to accomplish.
Thus starts my learning curve in a knitwear designers budding career or what I hope will be my new career. Today I frogged a new hat design that was more than halfway finished, just because I made a simple mistake. I started to drop down 4 rounds with about 6 stitches and realized I may not make it perfect. Instead of the gnashing of teeth and cursing as I once may have done, I joyfully ripped out 3 days worth of stitching and wound up that kinky mess while dreaming of what I can do to make it better. What had happened to me? I remember so many decades ago when I would cry out and throw my Legos or squish up an art project when it didn't turn out the way I wanted. I remember my dad would come running and ask what happened. What ever he said I can't remember but it would soothe me in the process. Later, good ole' Bob Ross the painter with the big fro' would say "There are no mistakes, just happy accidents." I did take that to heart. Now I seem to learned the patience and will-power to move forward through my failures to make more happy accidents in my life. How much more peaceful and challenging my world has become. I have learned to enjoy the ride.

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