Inspiration Fridays! How do you go from the messy middle to masterpiece?
How do you go from the messy middle to masterpiece?
Do ever get stuck in the middle, overwhelmed by the weight of your own expectations?
“Do not fear mistakes. There are none.” – Miles Davis
My masterpiece feels so real and close, so full of potential. But the chasm between my vision and the reality of what sits in front of me looms large.
We all stop short, the passion we have for our creation makes the idea of failure almost unbearable. But pushing through “just OK“ is the most important part of the process. Each brushstroke, or musical note, moves us closer to discovering what the piece wants to become.
This is where the real work begins. Starting a piece is thrilling, filled with possibility. But the middle? The middle is messy. It’s where doubt creeps in, claiming that you’ve lost your way. It’s also where breakthroughs happen. The melody of a great painting or composition comes from embracing the tension. We won’t find the solution in the back of the fridge or waiting for us on our phone.
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The messy middle
Creativity thrives on improvisation. Our notes and brushwork may not always land where we expect them to, but they’re there to lead us somewhere new if we stay present and open. Mistakes, or what we call mistakes, are part of the rhythm.
The key is to keep playing. Like the musician, we get to improvise and respond to an unexpected chord-change. The notes might feel off at first, but there’s a thread of harmony there. It’s waiting to emerge in ways that we never could have anticipated.
So grab a snack and check your email, but then get back to it. Those moments of dissonance aren’t dead ends. They’re opportunities to explore, to adjust, and to listen to what the painting is trying to tell you.