“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan
So there’s this artist, let’s call him Chris. (wink) He decides to try something new and starts painting landscapes, which he’s never done before.
He goes to his studio, sets up his canvas, and the first attempts are… well, terrible. The tree he’s painting looks more like a soggy brown balloon, but he’s determined. “It’s all part of the process,” he mutters.
Three hours later, the tree has somehow morphed into what looks like an angry broccoli, and his frustration level is at a solid 9. The enjoyment of the process is at zero.
Another hour goes by and Chris is questioning his life choices.
His landscape now includes an accidental duck because he splattered paint on the canvas and decided, in a moment of forced optimism, to “roll with it.” That duck now looks like it also has deep existential regrets too.
But Chris sticks with it.
By hour five, his trees look a little more interesting, and the existential duck actually starts to look more alive thanks to a couple of strategic brush strokes. It’s all taking on a new and unique look. He’s still struggling, but Chris begins to realize that maybe the journey isn’t just about painting perfect trees. Maybe it’s about exploring, experimenting, making mistakes, and learning to look at angry broccoli in a different way. Maybe, just maybe, this is the beginning of something unique that’s just being discovered through a constant stream of struggle, trial, and error.
Maybe this is just how an artist becomes an artist.
Broccoli Trees – By Chris Auman. I found this early painting in my sketches that I thought was interesting. It’s an experiment that explores layers, colors, styles, realism vs abstract. It’s nothing that I would want to hang on my wall now, but it was another step on the process of learning.
Embracing the struggle
Frustration is part of the process. The challenge is to continually work on finding ways to roll with the struggle so it’s seen as a positive experience and progress, not a negative, annoying slog. Maybe positivity will lead to something of value—something more satisfying. Something more unique and enjoyable for an outsider to view, use or experience. Something better than another painting of a perfect tree.
And that, in a nutshell, is the maker’s growth mindset. In my mind, it’s a continual pivot, away from negativity to positivity.
Having a growth mindset means recognizing that our abilities aren’t fixed—they can evolve and expand with time, effort, persistence, patience, and a willingness to learn and make mistakes.
Psychologist Carol Dweck first introduced the concept, and it’s especially relevant to what we do as creative humans. Failure is a natural part of the learning process, and it can lead to great things. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking we either have talent and potential or we don’t. It’s so easy to be frustrated because we’re comparing our abilities to someone else or some perfect vision of the perfect tree. It’s easy to think that we, or our work, don’t have any value. When it comes down to it, there really is no right or wrong. There is only what you, as a human, think is right: where you see value, what you find fun, and what you enjoy doing. If others want to come along for the ride, that’s a bonus.
Instead of seeing moments of frustration or mistakes as confirmation of our limitations, a growth mindset encourages us to see them as forward momentum and opportunities for learning and discovery. Mistakes aren’t failures; they’re just steps in the process, and our challenge is to enjoy them, embrace them, not dread them. We’re approaching struggle with positivity, knowing that good things will come in time. When we persist through these tough moments, we discover the skills that lead to mastery of our own abilities and unique styles. The willingness to experiment, to fail, and to try again—that’s where real growth happens.
The Long Game
It’s important to remember that growth doesn’t happen overnight either. We live in a world that loves quick results, but our development is a long game. We’re not just working toward a single thing; we’re cultivating our ability to think, see, and be the best we can be over time. A growth mindset allows us to stay curious, open to new ideas, and adaptable in the face of challenges continuously.
Ultimately, adopting a growth mindset is about freeing ourselves from the pressure to be something other than ourselves. Instead, we’re embracing the journey of becoming unique and better at what we do. We’re recognizing that each challenge is an opportunity to grow and evolve, not a sign that we should quit. By making this mental shift, we can approach our work, whatever that may be, with less fear, frustration, and more confidence. We can do this because we know that our potential isn’t fixed—it’s something we’re actively shaping, every day and the process will likely never end if we’re lucky.