A long ago mentor of mine once told me “Be prepared to make some duds”.
Considering all the wonderful guidance I’ve gotten from outstanding artists over the years, this little gem of advice has served me as well as anything I can remember. Dud is a funny word. It means something that didn’t work right or was unsatisfactory. Her “warning” that I might not always achieve the outcome I wanted gave me permission to experiment, to stumble, even to fail, but without beating myself up for it. Yes, I’ve made plenty of duds. They’ve been disappointing and many ended up in the trash. But it’s always been worth it. I learned something in the process every time. If you don’t take the risk to try something new your art will stagnate. So, go for it, and be prepared to make some duds.
