A painting isn't ruined by one stray mark. A life isn't either...
Fine Art Friday #53
I made a stray mark.
I was working on a live wedding painting—one of those really sacred ones. The ceremony was just beginning, the music soft, the groom already misty-eyed. I was completely in it: paint flowing, moment unfolding.
And then… splatter. Right across the soft ivory sky. My stomach dropped.
But I’ve done this long enough to know: a painting isn’t ruined by one stray mark.
In fact, sometimes, it becomes the thing that makes the piece. It draws your eye somewhere unexpected. It reminds you it was made by hand. It lets you feel something beyond perfection.
And that’s true off the paper, too.
Art Tip of the Week: Pause Before You Panic
The next time you make a mark you didn’t mean to—on your paper, or in your life—pause before you panic.
Take a breath.
Step back.
Let it dry.
Sometimes, the thing you’re sure “ruined” it… actually becomes the thing that makes it real. Maybe even beautiful.
We’re so quick to label things as failures, flaws, reasons to start over. But what if they’re invitations instead?
Invitations to trust your hand.
To shift direction.
To make peace with imperfection.
To remember: You’re not ruined either.
You’re still becoming.
And that? That’s the real art.
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Thanks for reading today's edition of the Stories I Only Tell My Friends newsletter! & if you're new here—hi! I'm Courtney, fine artist and live wedding painter, honored to paint beautiful celebrations around the 🌎. I'd love for you to stick around and subscribe to keep reading one art tip, once a week. :)