Emphasis Preaching Journal

Elementary-school art teachers teach their students how to make "happy mistakes." If a student makes a mark or cuts something that can't be undone, the teacher helps them incorporate that mistake into their project. Perhaps that unsightly pencil line can become another tree branch. Maybe that zig-zag cut on the edge of the paper could be repeated to become a fancy border for the artwork. Like the elementary art teacher, the potter makes his marred pot into a "happy mistake" -- instead of throwing out the clay, he reassesses its potential and reforms it into a new shape.