The Artistic Process: When Things Go Wrong, But in a Good Way

For me, the artistic process is like an experiment with no clear instructions, but still, it makes you feel as though you’re on the verge of discovering something big. It’s like starting a new app or project, not knowing exactly what you’ll learn, but knowing it will be a journey full of “Aha!” moments and maybe a few “Oops!” ones. It’s fascinating to be in a constant state of trial and error because even when you think you’ve made a mistake, you end up with a result that surprises you.

To me, art isn’t about “suffering” or “divine light.” It’s about curiosity. Yes, it can be a little challenging and chaotic, but that’s what makes it all the more interesting. Art doesn’t come from a place of melancholy, but from a desire to understand the world better, to ask questions, and sometimes, to create visual answers that weren’t obvious at first. When I place the brush on the canvas, I don’t have a fixed vision. I rather think, “Let’s see what happens here.” It might not always turn out as I imagined, but sometimes, that’s the fun part—the result doesn’t match expectations, but it can be far more interesting.

I admire Monet not only because he was the “poet of light” (though that’s a well-deserved title), but also because he understood that the creative process isn’t about perfectly reaching an end goal from the start. He painted the same scene dozens of times, changing his approach and adjusting his perception each time. He managed to transform a simple subject into an infinite collection of “small revelations.” Just like in everyday life, there is no clear path in art, only an ongoing search. And often, the best moments don’t happen when you follow predetermined steps, but when you let curiosity guide you—and sometimes, even your mistakes.

One important lesson I’ve learned in the studio is that there is no “recipe” for success. Art isn’t about having all the puzzle pieces from the beginning. It’s about experimenting, playing with ideas, and combining them in a way that surprises your own imagination. Even when the final result isn’t what you expected, the process gives you the opportunity to learn, to reinvent yourself. You don’t need to know from the start what your work will look like—the most important thing is to be driven by the desire to explore.

So, even if things don’t always turn out perfect (and there are plenty of moments when they don’t go as I imagined), the learning process is the most valuable part. If you learn from each mistake, it’s a step forward. Maybe in the end, you don’t get a “masterpiece” (though who knows what will happen with the next try), but you learn something about yourself and how you relate to the world, and that’s priceless.

In the end, the artistic process is more than a “pursuit of perfection”—it’s an ongoing journey full of curiosity, error, and surprises. It’s about facing uncertainty, playing with ideas, and learning from each step. Just like in life, you don’t always have control over what happens, but you choose how you react.