“Honor thy error as a hidden intention.“
—Brian Eno, Oblique Strategies
When we do creative work, we will make a lot of mistakes along the way.
At least that is how it will feel.
Our projects will not always come out the way that we wanted.
We will sometimes find it difficult to get our ideas out in a way that also gets our intentions across.
Our finished projects will often be far different than what we imagined we would create.
There will be a lot of false starts, a lot of failed attempts, and a lot of what will feel like errors along the way.
In fact, as we hone our craft, find our voice, and develop our own personal style, this is likely to be the case more often than it is not.
This is all part of the process.
However, something is only an error if we allow to be so, if we perceive it as such, and if we accept that there is nothing to be gained, gleaned, or learned from it.
Errors are only defined as such because they are a divergence from our initial ideas, goals, or intentions.
If it leads us somewhere worthwhile, though, the error becomes the path itself.
Holistic Budo: As it is in budo, so too it is in life. As it is in life, so too it is in budo.
Robert Van Valkenburgh is co-founder of Taikyoku Mind & Body and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
All photos by Robert Van Valkenburgh unless otherwise noted.
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