Avoid Mistakes, Avoid Growth

In the book "Art & Fear" by David Bayles and Ted Orland, a ceramics teacher splits their class into two groups: one group is told they will be graded based on the quantity of work they produce, while the other group is told they will be graded on the quality of a single piece. 

The group focused on producing a large quantity of work ends up creating the most impressive pieces because, through repetition, experimentation, and frequent failure, they refine their skills. 

In contrast, the group that focused on producing one perfect piece spends more time worrying about perfection rather than actually honing their craft.

The lesson here is that the process of making mistakes and continuously creating—without being overly focused on perfection—leads to greater improvement in skill.

When you make a mistake often the feeling is “Oh no, I made a mistake” but what if the thought could be “Oh great! I get to learn something new! And try better next time.”