moving past your design ‘mistakes’

Someone asked us recently… and I can’t remember if it was Instagram, Facebook, email, or on the website… how we move past our design mistakes. Like, when you’ve really messed up, how to get back on the proverbial horse again and just go for it. Ride back in with the calvary and stuff.

FOR NARNIAAAA!

I couldn’t find the question again, so if you’re reading, this is for you… because it’s one of our favorite topics.

I think that this is one of the hardest lessons we learn, in the whole of creating things for our home. I wish I could sit here and help give suggestions for every single regret people have. But I think there’s a bigger picture here. In a way, it’s really almost like a bigger metaphor, for life.

moving past your design mistakes – building a business

We can’t begin to tell you how many times we’ve failed. I think that the last three years of building a business and making a transition have been absolutely riddled with failure. Some that we haven’t even been able to share here. The list goes on and on and on. In fact, if you’re doing anything worthwhile, we’ve decided that failures are just a part of the process. We almost closed our business down a year ago, because change is hard, and we wondered if we’d made a huge mistake.
The simple truth of the matter is, if you have too many perceived failures in a row, they can really get to you. At the end of the day, failure is something I’ve learned to stop fussing over, place it in my back pocket, learn from, and move forward.

Okay fine. Sometimes I fuss for a bit, then I put it in my pocket. It still stings sometimes.

But we get it, because back to how? How do you do it?

If you’re in a video kinda mood, here’s one on the DIY aspect of things – remember when we all tried to make Periscope a thing? {Yes, we plan to have more videos soon because they’re kinda fun}. Here’s where you can pretend that we’re not total nerds. Also, we have accents if you’re not from the south, so get ready.

So circa 2003, two newlyweds {Jamin and I} moved to the city of Montgomery, Alabama. It was a job opportunity for him, and a bit of culture shock to both of us, for many reasons. I was fresh out of college, and looking for my first design gig. Cue the big dewey doe eyes: I dreamed of being featured in publications. I was going to change the design world with the most amazing work that would not only cure world hunger, but make epic statements about life.

And stuff.

 

moving past your design mistakes – dream job or not

After interviewing for a bit, I landed the one job I thought I really wanted. Nine months later, I was miserable and handing in my two weeks notice. One of the hardest things ever- resigning for the first time, is never easy. In my world I am many things, but never a quitter. I guess you can say I’ve always just had a fire in my belly. Maybe to my detriment.

It was a lesson learned in throwing in the towel: When to throw it in and that sometimes, it’s okay to throw in said towel when all you’re ever handed is repeat t-shirt designs at a pathetically underpaid desk job. It just wasn’t the right fit. In retrospect, I had two choices: I could wallow in regret on the subject matter of nine precious months wasted (which I totally did for a few days, by the way), or pick up and move on with the things I learned in that process.

So, after getting over myself, I decided to make a career change and go back to school. Masters is the new Bachelors in the world of forever students, after all. Back to school for Art Education just made sense at the time as far as futures are concerned in our small town. I even ended up being able to take a really fun painting class, and loved the program.

via

moving past your design mistakes – alter your thinking

Fast forward to 2004. I was nearly halfway through my masters and really enjoying the process when… surprise! I was pathetically nauseated, while simultaneously wanting to cram my face with anything I could get my hands on a-la Augustus Gloop. Three repetitively positive prego tests, and a week or two of getting over the initial shock later… I was naively frustrated at the time, and still determined to finish school.

Yes, I know. Dork. I was young.

But then Aiden arrived (circa 2005) and I just didn’t get so excited about leaving him behind for an internship when the next semester started back up. It’s kind of crazy how a child can completely turn your life, and perspective, upside down… the important wasn’t so important to me anymore. I decided to not-so-reluctantly put my Master’s on hold. Something about that sweet baby totally altered my priorities. My passion for finishing my Masters just wasn’t there at the time. It’s different for everyone, but we made some sacrifices to make staying home happen. And while I was doing what needed to be done for our family at the time, in the back of my mind oh-so-secretly, I was a double failure in the world of pursued careers and education.

I found myself apologizing to Jamin for wasted time, energy and most of all, money. I was beating myself up and filled with regret.

His response?

An education is never wasted.

With that one statement, he totally altered the way I was thinking.

When I asked you guys your greatest fears and concerns on starting new projects, most of you, in some form or fashion, responded with this:

I prefer the use of naught. It makes me think of fainting couches, chivalry, and Shakespeare. 

moving past your design mistakes – failure is part of the process

Whenever you’ve experienced something in your life, whether it’s something you considered a mistake, or not… was it really all wasted time?

No.

Whether we want to admit it or not, NO.

Calling something wasted time is often our initial, knee-jerk response. Because in one way or another, when it’s all said and done, we learn and grow from our experiences.

Even the bad ones.

So when you tackle a project… whether you succeed or not… don’t you ultimately learn from it? To change a paint color is inspiring. To alter something you no longer love in your home is motivating. And to use a power tool is empowering.

Isn’t it ultimately some form of education, all on its own?

There’s something happening below the surface that is much more than we see. We learn about ourselves. We glean from our failures. We change. We grow. We can’t place a value on our takeaway from any given project… DIY or life. It’s a process. So whether it’s a shrunken slipcover, (or this catastrophe) the wrong color for your walls, or even a stencil that takes about ten years to finish… It may take you a moment to calm down, but it’s never wasted. It’s shaping who we are.

moving past your design mistakes – grow from it

If this is what life does to us, projects are just another aspect of that.

I never consider time, money and energy wasted. Failure or no, don’t we ultimately grow? Doesn’t it make us better?

This is one of my very favorite quotes… because to take the risk is to make progress.

And this one, too when it comes to all things social media. Because it all comes down to perspective. 

moving past your design mistakes – new purpose

It all depends on what you decide to do with that.

So, the rest of the story…

In 2006, with a six month old, I had a new purpose for life, right in front of me. But I was also learning to re-define and accept who I was, and where I was. It may sound a little woe-is-me, first-world-focus-on-myself-problemish, but growing up quickly… and the unexpected tolls of being a mother were isolating.

It’s hard.

Aiden. Age 6 months. Isn’t he adorable?

moving past your design mistakes – new beginnings 

“So I started this blog,” I found myself mumbling to friends on the phone when they asked what on earth I was up to in the black, unchartered hole of motherhood. I was the first pioneer likened to that of Neil Armstrong when it came to friends and babies. “Just a mom kinda thing where I update stuff every now and then…” I would explain dismissively. It was for fun, after all. Fast forward a few more years + a few more babies (surprise again!) + climbing out of survival mode… and I decided to start making our home truly ours. And writing about it. Somehow, I tricked Jamin into doing it with me, and it became this combination of what I loved… It was just for fun, right?

Little did I know I was turning the hull of the ship for our entire family trajectory in the next few years.

Time. Energy. Resources.

It’s never wasted. These are the things that shape who we are. This is life.

Even if it takes you a while to find your path. Or your style. Or whatever it is you’re working on that truly makes you, you.

Even if the next chapter comes, and throws a whammy you weren’t expecting.

Even if you change directions completely.

You’re learning, growing, evolving and changing.

Whether we have to rise from the proverbial ashes of a bad job experience, a slipcover catastrophe that makes you want to stomp your foot like a four year old (and cry) or unexpectedly stumbling into a hobby that you find oddly therapeutic that you can change into a career of sorts…

If you have to pull your business out of a nose dive… {Yes, another “failure” for us, last year}

If you have to sell your home after waiting for a year when you thought this was kind of your thing…

If you relocate and start all over again…

The list can go on and on.

It’s always worth the risk, and you never know what you might discover.

An education is never wasted. You’ve got this.

Just go for it.

And also, I’ll leave you with this… still one of our favorites: {refresh if it’s not loading}

Have an inspired day!