Last year, I took a stained glass class in Oklahoma City. The class met once a week, and you could continue to use the workshop to create your stained glass pieces. Spotify filled the workshop with the best music from the 70s through 90s. Folks were friendly and encouraging. It was a creative utopia in the middle of OKC.
I found that making stained glass art was challenging and a great chance to stretch my creative chops. I loved picking out the glass, choosing colors and textures, and finding interesting patterns. Pinterest became my best friend for patterns.
Cutting textured glass can be challenging at best, especially for a beginner. While trying to cut one textured piece, I couldn’t press the glass scorer deep enough. The glass wouldn’t break. After much finagling, I screamed “I quit. I’m done!” Uncharacteristic for me. The once quiet, utopic workshop fell silent. I rushed out to take a breath. The instructor’s wife ended up cutting that piece for me.
A month later, the instructor asked me if I enjoyed the class. I explained that sometimes I get frustrated because I’m still learning. He said I should be “happy 100% of the time.” Really?
Utopia should not be forced. His statement was very demotivating and surprising in any art class. The next week, I decided to finish my current piece and end my stint in the workshop. It was a difficult decision at first, because Wednesdays had become a highlight of my week. But I realized the atmosphere wasn’t conducive to continuing to learn.
I hadn’t realized that stained glass is difficult to cut even for experienced artists. Now I realize that my perfectionistic tendencies affected my enjoyment of the process. I will continue to make stained glass art in the comfort of my own home. It will be messy but worth the final product.
Stained glass taught me that imperfection is part of the process. Glass is not perfect, and my skills are not perfect. The point is to enjoy the process and create a more beautiful world.
Have you dealt with perfectionism while creating your art?