If it Ain’t Broke, Break it

I’ve been thinking about this for a while. You know how sometimes when you scrap something you’re working on and begin all over again, it just seems to come out better?  Well that’s why I  say, “if it ain’t working, just break it and fix it”

I believe that every now and then, we must do this if we want to improve our work. Sometimes, what we’re working on isn’t really in a very bad shape but could do with a little ‘something’. However, no matter how hard we try, we just can’t bring it  to where we want. This is when you need to break it and start over again. How do I make this happen, you may ask.

Here are two important ingredients you need to make this happen.

1. Willingness and 2. Strength

Willingness to do more and be better is really what enables me to pull the plug on my own work. Quite frankly, to create something with a slight semblance of likeness to what we had originally imagined is in itself a great accomplishment, wouldn’t you say?  So what do you do when it doesn’t meet expectations? Going back to the drawing board is an option but it requires that we have the willingness to do better. Without this desire for improvement it’s hard to look at the result of your hard work and just break it.

Secondly, the mentality of ‘if ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ is a big creativity block, which requires strength of mind and purpose to overcome. To change direction when we are well along our way requires strength. Mental strength and purpose is what will give you the extra push to break it and fix it.  This is what pushes me to cut up a piece of work in order to do it differently. It is what enables me to overcome the doubts in my mind (doubts that this time may be no better than before) and to take the necessary risks. It is this same strength that will enable you to also do the same.

My artwork ‘Shadows’ was one that went through what I’ve named the ‘destruction to improve’ process. After I had completed the initial artwork, each time I came back to ‘see’ it, I realized I’d inadvertently created a focal point in a place I didn’t like. It kept bugging me, but the thought of how much work I’d put in deterred me from doing what I needed to do.  Finally, I gathered up the courage, picked up my rotary cutter and began to cut and rearrange pieces. I must say, the final work far exceeded my expectations.

A successful outcome to the ‘destruction to improve’ process is extremely rewarding. The extra hard work and the creative risks taken certainly ensures a great sense of pride in the final work.  Yes, ‘whatever you are working on, be it a report or an engineering project, know that, if it ain’t broke’… you can still break it and fix it.

Thanks for reading. Have you ever broken something just to fix it?  I’d love to hear about your experiences and what you think about the topic.  Leave a comment.

And now, go let out your creative genius.