Error is the first word in the quote from Ulysses and ironically (or, should I say, truthfully) the quote is in error. I copied it from a secondary source without checking. So my quote welcoming in errors is itself an error. Life is so much fun if you pay attention!
Now, I don't have a copy of Ulysses (and don't want to read it right now anyway) but from several sources on the web, I found this 'A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery.'
Interestingly enough, for my purposes, the misquote works better. I don't think my son sees himself as a 'man of genius' so might just dismiss the idea as inapplicable.
I just love the idea that errors are desirable. In the TV show The Dog Whisperer each time the dog does an undesirable behavior, the host, Ceasar Millan, would say good. He saw each moment as a teaching moment. If the dog only behaved well around him, the visit would be completely wasted. It's just like I tell my yoga students, pain can be a good thing because it tells you when to stop.
The other errors on this page are legion. It is the second thing I have drawn since what feels like kindergarten (remember how I talked about imbalance last week?). Freeing up the hand and wrist, so comfortable in the structure a yoga arm balance, to move fluidly on the page was just not gonna happen. I also had this idea that the walls had to be straight and the barrel vault circular so I traced something round (can't remember what) and used a ruler. The result is fairly rigid, but I figure I have years of ugly drawings waiting to be released from me. It should be interesting.
I haven't looked at the page since I drew it mid June, so about a month and a half. In opening the book today I found I really liked it. Errors really are the portals to discovery after all.
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