says that perfection is boring because we all solve problems. When we see something imperfect, our mind wants to figure out what's going on—we become curious. On the other hand, when something is too irregular or 'bad,' we ignore it as irrelevant noise.
Provoking curiosity is one thing... but what makes imperfections beautiful?
The difference between perfection and mastery
Perhaps you have read Giorgio Vasari's famous story about Giotto, an early Renaissance painter. In this story, Giotto was asked to prove his mastery in painting. He did this by drawing a perfect circle without using any technical tools except for his brush. Unfortunately, I wasn't actually present, but I assume Giotto's circle wasn't perfect, but it was masterful. To explain the difference between them, I’m going to show you how well, or poorly, I draw:
As you can see, my drawing is far from perfect. The red area shows how far my circle deviates from the perfect circle drawn by software. This illustrates the tension between aspiration and achievement. Mastery is the pursuit of making this area disappear. And Giotto's red area was probably much smaller than mine.
Mastery is not perfection; it is the striving for perfection.
One of the things that makes hand-drawn sketches exciting is the effort
Sports events are thrilling because of mistakes, misses, falls, failures—and the struggle to avoid them. Athletes' drama serves as a metaphor for our personal struggles in life, the tension between our goals and our actual achievements. Watching an athlete perform flawlessly is enjoyable, but seeing them struggle is even more engaging.
Now I suppose a similar kind of struggle can be observed in hand-painted artworks. What makes them 'alive,' 'charming,' or 'personal' is not necessarily a unique 'style' of the author, their personal 'expression.' It is their struggle for perfection. Watching someone draw can sometimes reveal this struggle.
Artists and designers often hide this process and only showcase the shiny results of their efforts. However, in a world of flawless, shiny products, the imperfections in the process may be exactly what makes your work interesting to your audience. It makes the work human (in the best sense of the word) and, thus, beautiful.
We love to see the process, not just the result. Flaws in your work can be beautiful if they demonstrate your struggle for perfection, rather than a lack of care.
There's never enough of it — live with it!
Many creatives know that nagging voice in their heads while they are working on something. That voice will meticulously point out every flaw and mistake in your work long before it's finished. that voice always — ALWAYS — convinces me that this is the worst thing I have ever done in my life. Ever. I see the wrong perspective, incorrect proportions, crooked lines… it’s all very dramatic. Imagine my relief when I realized that these mistakes could actually appeal to viewers because they can relate to my struggle! Following the ideas of Wabi Sabi, I developed the habit of embracing these flaws; they became part of my work.
"Roofs, Venice",
In our pursuit of mastery, we must learn to live with imperfections, with this contradiction between our goals and what we actually achieve. Just as we all know, this article could have been written much better. But this is the best I can do. Therefore, we must live right here and now.
Source: habr.com
